Ghost Opera (2007) - Kamelot

1. Solitaire

2. Rule The World

3. Ghost Opera

4. The Human Stain

5. Blucher

6. Love You to Death

7. Up Through the Ashes

8. Mourning Star

9. Silence of the Darkness

10. Anthem

11. Eden Echo

When I first downloaded this album I didn't know what to expect, due to not hearing any of Kamelot's newer albums. But, as I heard it through I was pleasantly surprised. Ghost Opera has booming opera choirs and symphonies and is a remarkably epic album.

Solitaire is a quiet violin instrumental, only lasting for a minute, but suiting as a nice pre-track for the opening song, Rule The World. Consistently changing beats emphasise the violin interludes, proving the band's symphonic tag well. The title track, Ghost Opera, is an amazingly written symphony-riddled track with a catchy chorus and the stretching of the capabilities of vocalist Roy Khan. The Human Stain has a sound almost like KoRn at some points of the intro, but changes tempos like the rest of the album and moves to something a bit more mellow by the end of the track. Blucher is a short but very sweet track that grasps the middle of the album, also featuring vocalist of Epica, Simone Simons.

Love You to Death is a much quieter song then the rest. Soothing beats and well-spoken lyrics make it worth listening to, also with an appearance from Amanda Somerville. Up Through The Ashes is what got me. Up Through The Ashes is what got me. Since I heard it I can't stop listening to it, it is just that good. Strong riffs and catchy lyrics keep this song alive even after it's finished. Mourning Star sounds like it is going to be soft, but ends up being a driving song for everything but the intro. That kept me listening as well. Silence of the Darkness is a more rapid song with repetitive chorus' and crazy guitar-play that is good for less then four minutes, it isn't that long in the end. Anthem is another quiet symphony that I truly like. It should be known this song would go off at a concert, I can just visualise the crowd singing to it. Eden Echo is a heavily-symphonic end track to the album, which wraps up one of the finest albums I have heard in a long time.

Length - 8/10

Power - 9/10

Solos - 8/10

Overall - 8.5/100

Oceanborn ( 1998 ) - Nightwish

1. Stargazers
2. Gethsemane
3. Devil & The Deep Dark Ocean
4. Sacrament of Wilderness
5. Passion And The Opera
6. Swanheart
7. Moondance
8. The Riddler
9. The Pharaoh Sails to Orion
10. Walking In The Air
11. Sleeping Sun
12. Nightquest

Oceanborn is Nightwish's second studio album, featuring such epic hits as Sacrament of Wilderness and Sleeping Sun. But that alone isn't the best this album has to offer.

When you hear the sudden key-filled intro of the song Stargazers you know it is going to be a good album. The first song keeps you occupied with rocking out with it. Gethsemane is another song riddled with keyboards and epic metal thoroughly keeping the album going at a fast pace. Devil & The Deep Dark Ocean is close to flawless, the song written amazingly, with power metal double kickers and ripping solos through the song, as well as a major song for Tarja Turunen. Sacrament of Wilderness is a rather calm but strong song that would be a fan favourite. Passion And The Opera is a straight out rock song with 80's epic riffs and bass through the song. Swanheart is a slow but still satisfying song, one of the few. Moondance is an instrumental that I loved before I even knew who Nightwish were. The Riddler is a fast and proves that keyboards and metal can still go together unlike ever before. The Pharaoh Sails to Orion is a personal favourite, it always has me singing along, it's just that good. Walking In The Air carries the album on for longer and keeps you interested. Sleeping Sun is amazing. It shows Tarja Turunen's true vocal ability, dead-set, in it's fullest. Nightquest is a perfect album closer, a strong and catchy song which you can listen to over and over.

Nightwish haven't so much not raised past this album, they have gone in a different direction, though Wishmaster (2000) is a good album too, Oceanborn has something a Nightwish album could ever have in that way again.

Length - 7/10
Power - 9/10
Solos - 8/10
Overall - 8/10

Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV : Volume Two...No World For Tomorrow (2007) - Coheed & Cambria

1. The Reaping (Intro)
2. No World For Tomorrow
3. The Hound (Of Blood and Rank)
4. Feathers
5. The Running Free
6. Mother Superior
7. Gravemakers & Gunslingers
8. Justice in Murder
9. The End Chapter- I- The Fall Of House Atlantic
10. The End Chapter- II- Radio Bye Bye
11. The End Chapter- III- The End Complete
12. The End Chapter- IV- The Road and the Damned
13. The End Chapter- V- On The Brink


I never had really heard much outside of the first volume of the Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV set when I came across the entire Coheed & Cambria discography. It was recommended by a friend that I listened to this album, and I thought I would give it a go. And that was a decision well made.

Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV : Volume Two...No World For Tomorrow, despite the long-winded title, has a lot of power behind their Progressive Rock look. The album begins with The Reaping, a creepy but suitable intro for No World For Tomorrow, evidently the title track of the album. This song has smooth progression, amazing guitar riffs from Sanchez, and a strong chorus, that got the crowd going strong at the concert I recently went to. Next is The Hound (Of Blood and Rank), the first song I really got into on the album, a pounding song that has energy from start to finish. Then there is Feathers, the song I personally loved at the concert. Basic riffs and catchy choruses never sounded so good together, and the true meaning of the song is powerful in itself. Track five is The Running Free, a strong, continuously active song. Mother Superior is the first calm song of the album, and it is a ripper, with beautifully crafted lyrics, the song catches you every time you listen to it. Gravemakers & Gunslingers is a rock ****c, with Sanchez once again extending his vocal capacity beyond belief. Justice in Murder is a good mid-point to the album, strong tunes and seamless drumming combines to make a good experience always. The End Chapter songs are seamlessly strong at kick all the way through outside of On The Brink, which is a soothing and lovely wrap-up for the album.

It was good for me to go and see this album get performed by the band when I was starting to really get into this album. It extended my listening to it's enjoyment, and just brings back memories, but I suppose that's what you go see bands for.

Length - 7/10
Power - 8/10
Solos - 8/10
Overall - 8/10

I am getting so close to it, my Pokedex on my Pearl game is now 468 Seen and 468 Obtained. I only have pretty much legendaries, GSC starters, and a few of those oh-so-lovely unobtainables such as Mew, Jirachi and Darkrai to get. On top of that I plague myself with the task of getting one of EVERY type of Pokemon in the game. This will be hard...obviously, but hey, I love my Pokemon, all the way since the RBY generation. Aaah memories. So far I have spent around 300 hours on Pearl alone, now that shows what I do when I am bored. Regardless, I guess that's what a gamer does.

I have also been playing a good deal of Phantom Hourglass, considering I need a new rush of a different DS game from Pokemon Pearl for a change. I have unearthed a way to get unlimited ship parts, and unlimited treasures, the only downside is it requires a slight amount of patience (not too much however). It involves the tweaking of the DS clock, after I delightfully discovered that the game doesn't cry about calender alterations like the Pokemon games. I have got deeply back into Phantom Hourglass because as you might guess from the first paragraph, I am a Hoarder. I want everything, and one of everything at that. This makes games hard at times. I hate being determined to beat everything before I have even though about the storyline and when it will be completed.

I went and saw Coheed & Cambria on Monday Night at the UNSW Roundhouse. It was great, though naturally over-priced like the majority of concerts these days. They performed powerfully and played some epics like In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3 and Welcome Home. Though it was the power of the 8-minute long epic The Willing Well IV : The Final Cut, that took the cup as the greatest single song I have ever seen performed live. The lead singer Claudio Sanchez harnessed that bizaar voice of his and layed out a spectacular solo on his double-guitar, screeching on for a five-minute individual solo, with each member following suit with their own 5-minute solos, though seperated in intervals, it all got stuffed into a 25-minute long finale that went off with the crowd unlike any other.

Another game I have been ecstatic about is the Wii port of three Resident Evil games, plus more, namely The Umbrella Chronicles. This on-rails shooter has captured me as a Resident Evil fanatic. It spans Resident Evil Zero, ReMake, 3 and there are added chapters in the game to add to the detail of each survivors adventure through the outbreak of the T-Virus. It captures as many moments as possible in 10 minute chapters. Each game has three chapters dedicated to the main storyline, and there are either two or three unlockable characters, in which you play characters you don't know the full story of, such as Albert Wesker, Rebecca Chambers and Ada Wong. I am going to go completionist on this game. This'll be fun.

Since the both of them came out in relative synchronicity, the Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo DS are two pieces of a two-pieced puzzle, the puzzle that is dominating the market beyond belief. Big titles have been released on both titles such as a eagerly-expected triple set of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl (DS), and Pokemon Battle Revolution (WII). Meshing together much like the Ruby, Sapphire and Colosseum set, these three games have so far given me gaming time of nearly 300 hours since I got Pearl in October 2007, and I have only played Battle Revolution for a maximum of 2 hours, considering I hired it because I'm dirt poor after my recent sprees of buying the WII and two concert tickets.

Speaking of concert tickets, I am going to see Coheed & Cambria tomorrow night at the UNSW Roundhouse, which should hopefully thrill me, I have been listening through the Willing Well set for the past few days. Damn do those songs have some flare to them or what? In May I am also seeing Avenged Sevenfold, Bullet for My Valentine AND Atreyu at the same concert! I'd say that is some mad entertainment for AU $70. I am so satisfied with this year so far, as I saw Nightwish at the Enmore Theater on Febuary 1st, and on the 9th of Febuary, wait for it, I SAW IRON MAIDEN LIVE AT THE ACER ARENA!!! Concert of a lifetime, no one can pump performances like Dickinson and Co.

Till next,

LoE