So you know ahead of time, this blog is a "return to form" so to speak with my all too long blog styles, so you have been warned.
As I listen to the title track "Jugulator" by Judas Priest (fairly underrated album in my eyes) I've come across a couple interesting little things over the past couple days, mostly upon return from my day at work. The first of which I guess I'll mention is a new album by a band I've really been getting into that I was very hotly anticipating:
In case you can't read it, the band is Eternal Tears of Sorrow and they just released their sixth album entitled "Children of the Dark Waters", which I had to download from the Zune Marketplace since the actual CD isn't being released here in the US (we're totally lame and not metal!). I first found out about these guys about a year ago after hearing "Sweet Lilith of My Dreams" and "Red Dawn Rising" on my old Launch radio (why'd they have to butcher the site even more?) and, even after several listens, Before the Bleeding Sun continued to amaze me with each listen. I also got around to getting A Virgin and A Whore and while I didn't like it as much as its successor, I still enjoyed it quite a bit and do (mostly) prefer the melodies on it. I haven't heard any of their other earlier material but I do intend to listen to Chaotic Beauty when I get my new computer.
As for this album, I listened to it upon downloading it on Friday night and absolutely loved it, though I also am planning to give it another couple listens soon since I've been in a bit of a shuffle mood and the songs didn't' quite strike me individually save for the opening track (might be like Nostradamus, best heard from start to finish). It does seem like with this album they were trying to balance out the sounds of their last two albums, which, if is the case, I'll definitely give them credit for trying. For my first impression listen though, I'd put it about on par with Before the Bleeding Sun, if not a little more.
I also decided to pick up Crackdown for $15 at Gamestop since I had been craving it's over-the-top action and I don't remember if this was the case when the game first released, but I found out after beating the game you can resurrect the gangs with your Agent remaining unaffected, which I absolutely love (why can't more games be like this?) I've been having a blast with it, but the game is way too short which, despite the help of the gang resurrection options, does make it wear thing too quickly. It's always the more fun games that are too short.
I'm also looking forward to seeing Up this Friday after seeing the trailer a few times, which makes it look very promising and the early reviews are serving as great reinforcment (there are only a couple Pixar films I didn't like which, for the sake of not getting hate messages I'll refrain from saying but I'll say my two personal favorites are WALL-E and Cars with Ratatouille closely following.
Also, during the middle of my shift at work tonight, I looked at my schedule and was surprised to see that my hours were actually cut, despite being low as it is (since I want to focus on college). Normally I work 4-12 and 2-12 on Sundays and Tuesdays, respectively (yes, that's afternoon to midnight in the stock crew foran abysmal $7.35 an hour for working there nearly two years, but I have to keep telling myself it's an income to pay for my car). But rather than working till midnight on Tuesday I'm working till 10:30, and it turns out everyone else in the store is affected (Tony from deli and meat has 3-4 less hours, others in the stock crew have the same day hour change and Marshal,a bagger up front, got his cut too). Seems my store is even less willing to cough up the dough, guess that shows my chances of getting a raise when I ask for one during my two year anniversary, eh?
And probably the two more eye-catching bits of news are the recent news of Guitar Hero 5and the new Zune model. I'll star with the game of plastic instruments first. While the past few Guitar Hero games have made me roll my eyes at the series save for Guitar Hero: Metallica (since it was challenging but fun and was up my music alley; Guitar Hero was a bittersweet experience for me, Aerosmith was forgettable and World Tour was unremarkable), I actually think they might have something going with this one thanks to the little jump in, jump out design concept (really digging that, would be nice to have if playing a long song, maybe "Fear of the Dark" or "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" for the Iron Maiden track?) The only qualm I currently have of the game so far is the soundtrack, the only bands that I have any interest in are Maiden (depending on the song choice, since I'd LOVE "Fear of the Dark" ora song from Powerslave if not that) and Darkest Hour just because it's more variety (since I'm not too crazy about them). I'd really like to see the return of Shadows Fall to one of these games, "Bible Black" by Heaven and Hell would be a very smart pick and perhaps "Blood Red Skies" by Judas Priest? Would be at least a couple enticements for me to possibly purchase.
As for the new Zune, it's simply being called "Zune HD", and it's essentially a Zune-branded iTouch. There are some details about it here:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/26/zune-hd-is-official-heading-your-way-this-fall/
For my thoughts on it, I've gathered a pretty bittersweet view towards the Zune since I love the device, its designs, concepts and see so much potential in it but the software has always been lousy and I've had my fair share of hardware issues (namely a defective battery icon from my old Zune 80 and now Zune 120). This upcoming Zune has my curiosity, but there are a few things that would determine me purchasing one at all:
-The price. I'm still compensating for the purchase of my Zune 120 and if it's over $400 (which I expect it to be more than) then I'll probably be a late buyer at best.
-The hard drive size. The main reason I bought a Zune 120 instead of a smaller model is because I've been trying to get into more bands and, when I get my new computer, will likely get at least one album almost every day and intend to burn movies aplenty to my computer for any possible portable film watching. I've heard it'll likely be just 16 and 32 GB which is almost guarantees no consideration from me since I need the space (since I have over 30 movies listed to burn and about 40 albums in-mind to get as of now).
-The reception. Generally, the Zunes have gotten good reception (save for the first once mostly since it had little space and wasn't much of a looker, but it was the most reliable), but of course many still demean them (which I guess I technically am part of since I've had a few issues just like the 360, only not nearly as bad).
-The battery icon/life. Seriously, my two most recent Zunes had/have the same main annoying issue for me, the battery (icon?) is defective, even with about 30-60% marked on the bar it'll suddenly die (it does generally last at least a few hours though), and I've tried fixing this but to no avail.
And if you're curious of the albums I currently have marked down to get when I finally get a new computer, I'll list them off in two categories. First, albums by bands I've listened to/have at least one album by:
In Flames-"Lunar Strain" (heard the album before, but lost the files on my old computer)
Eternal Tears of Sorrow-"Chaotic Beauty"
Iron Maiden-"Somewhere In Time"
Iron Maiden-"Seventh Sonof a Seventh Son"
Black Sabbath-"Black Sabbath" (ironically, the only Sabbath albums I have are two of the "Dio-era" albums)
Queensryche-"Empire"
Queensryche-"Operation: Mindcrime Part II"
Dream Theater-"Octavarium"
Lamb of God-"Sacrament" (heard As the Palaces Burn, Ashes of the Wake and Wrath, but not this one, odd, I know)
The Autumn Offering-"Embrace the Gutter" (same situation as "Lunar Strain")
The Autumn Offering-"Fear Will Cast No Shadow" (and I do know this is with the new singer after the above album)
Megadeth-"So Far, So Good...So What!"
Metallica-"Load" (only heard Ride the Lightning through The Black Album and Death Magnetic, but I want to give their other material a shot at least)
As for the bands I have yet to hear an album by:
Raintime-"Flies & Lies"
Dark Tranquility-"The Gallery"
At The Gates-"Slaugher of the Soul"
Cannibal Corpse-"Vile"
Machine Head-"The Blackening"
Twisted Sister-"Stay Hungry" (I know, lol and lame-tastic)
Motorhead-"Overkill"
Motorhead-"Ace of Spades"
Napalm Death-"Time Waits For No Slave" (love the song "On The Brink of Extinction")
Kreator-"Pleasure To Kill"
Death-"The Sound of Perseverance"
Symphony X-"The Divine Wings of Tragedy"
Meshuggah-"obZen"
Skid Row-"Slave to the Grind"
Venom-"Black Metal"
Celtic Frost-"Into the Pandemonium"
Morbid Angel-"Covenant"
Fear Factory-"Demanufacture"
Anthrax-"We've Come For You All"
Warbringer-"War Without End"
Mors Principium Est-"The Unborn"
Norther-"N"
Omnium Gatherum-"The Redshift"
Sentenced-"The Cold White Light"
myGRAIN-"Orbit Dance"
Amorphis-"Eclipse"
Amon Amarth-"With Oden On Our Side" (yup, will be my first full taste of these guys, I was inclined to pick "Twilight of the Thunder God" but many fans here seem to not like it so I'll start elsewhere)
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