The Sickness is the first effort from the band, Disturbed. They debuted with a bang, of which they haven't reached since. And it's what the name suggests; aggressive, angry metal. It would really classify as nu-metal, and some of the best from that particular genre. It was certainly something. Really heavy, dark, and loud. David Draiman has the unique bark sound to his voice, but actually has decent range, being able to scream and growl, while returning to singing nicely. I also can't understand a word, and have made up half the lyrics. But the guitar is muted, low, and heavy for sure. The drums are thumping and seem to set the tone for everything. The electronic elements blend in perfectly, and are really well done. It sounds sort of dark and creepy, angry and violent. It's low and mean. It's that signature Disturbed sound. C'mon and feel their noize.

"Voices" has some fun little effect, with David growling "so" in that barking voice of his, then they lay on the heavy. The rest is David half-screaming, half-singing to some guitars which are on perfect tempo. It leads into "The Game", which isn't as good. The chorus is really the song's saving grace. It still feels a little "off", I guess. I like it a lot still. "Stupify", one of my favorites. This song really helps make the album, it really gets you going. Really heavy chorus with a great rhythm section, bass and drums working hand-in-hand. David does a great job singing things you'd have to read to understand, and some very excellent guitar work. It's just really heavy and sticks in your head. One of the best.

Who hasn't heard "Down with the Sickness"? No one, and for good reason. It's my personal favorite on this album, and favorite Disturbed song. The intro starts with Mike and some great orangutan drumming, but Dan comes in with some fantastic palm-muted guitar and David makes more noises. This is where things get "heavy". David can change between barking and singing really well, and the rest of the band do a great job leading into an amazing chorus, albeit and odd one. The bridge is an odd one, as it's basically David screaming about how abusive his mother was. Can't verify the authenticity, but it adds some more dark, angry, violent lyrical to an already dark, angry, violent album. Lead riff to chorus, end. Fantastic.

"Violence Fetish" is filler, really. It begins with some distorted guitar courtesy of Dan, and David doing his "Disturbed" thing. The guitar is weird, yes, but David and Dan are still magical together, and they do a good job. Needs some more traditional hardcore metal choruses, but dear lord the chorus is made of joy. The guitar is doing this fun screeching, with a hint of technical elements and David is just screaming and being angry. Makes the song. "Fear" has a really different intro, with some drums and this interesting little techno effect, then drops so excellently with David screaming and Dan providing the heavy. The whole band mixes together and delivers and perfect verse, and a pretty good heavy metal chorus. The outro hits you hard, with everyone kickin' it into overdrive.

"Numb" is filler, filler, filler. It's also sort of different in the fact it's slow... but slow, harmonizing David doesn't sound as good as the slower songs from American Capitalist. The c horus is pretty good, with all that good screaming and the rest of the band bringing in some hardcore. The chorus is what saves the song. David's more harmonizing voice doesn't really work on the song, and it's just kinda sub-par. "Want" begins with some very quiet, soft talking and this robotic drone and this industrial banging sound... Then at the 27 second mark, David startles me by screaming "SHE WANT MEH!" as loud as he can, then they destroy the verse. Dan's guitar palm-mutes and squeals. It's a slower song, but it's a slower Disturbed song done right. Decent effort with "Numb", but this is brilliance. It's crunching, heavy, and just great.

"Conflict" is great. The beginning has little bit of Dave, but it's really just doing their heavy (again) thing. The verse is a mix of Dan muting and Dave half-singing again. The chorus is full of screaming and plenty of HEAVY. The drumming is great on this album, I might add. But this song in particular. We are reunited with our double-bass drum friend, and it's a grand reunion. The bridge is actually fairly creepy, and the song ends with muting and bass/drum deliciousness.

"Shout 2000" is, in fact, a cover the Tears for Fears song of the same name. Not really original, but it's an amazing heavy metal cover of an older pop song. I really do like the Fears version, but oh my. I do love the Disturbed one. Even more so, I think. Sorry, but I do. Deal with it. "Droppin' Plates" is such a silly song. "A little somethin' for your earholes! GET UP!" Okay, it is one of my favorites from these guys. It's just sort of rolling, and David's screaming takes it places. It's the heaviest. They dished out the heavy good here. It's rolling and full of David's screaming and Dan on the higher strings. They just go all out on this on.Turn up your speakers.

"Meaning of Life" begins with a little drum beat from Mike, and an electronic beat that's a dead ringer for "Head Like a Hole". This song is also very heavy, it can compete with "Droppin' Plates". Full of palm-muted joy, and David flawlessly singing to screaming and back again. Mike works overtime, and the bridge is great. Dave basically raps, and I really couldn't understand what he said. Anyway, this is a brilliant way to top off the album. Fast, heavy, and probably the creepiest song on the album.

Overall, The Sickness wins in big ways. It's nu-metal at its absolute finest. Heavy, palm-muted guitars, fast drum rolls, screaming vocals and electronics mesh together flawlessly to create this lyrically dark, violent, profane, and angry album!



I also learned that Song-by-song takes a lot of time and text.

Five Finger Death Punch - American Capitalist - A Review

In starting; Wow.



Five Finger Death Punch are indeed a sonic war machine of sorts, and American Tragedy only cements this further. One wouldn't describe modern (largely) as "clever" or "mature", but this album certainly is. Five Finger have certain "no bull" type approach to their music, and from the opening moments and growls, I could tell one of the year's finest was coming. Many years of hard work and middle fingers have come together to birth this, c'mon and feel their noize.

The opening track is hard and fast, setting the tone perfectly. Guitarists Zoltan Bathory and Jason Hook are sick. They create a low, death metal sound and trade off time signatures so effectively. The beastly riffs can be a tad repetitive, but the low tuning really does make up for it. This album is also a lot more solo friendly. They're more pronounced, more respected. They're beautiful, roaring, explosive, great. They remind me of 80s heavy metal solos of yore, and are integrated perfectly to the growling, crunching frenzy. There are also more acoustic intros on American Capitalist than on previous Five Finger Death Punch albums. It gives it a more intelligent feel, but keeping the brutality. The guitar work here is truly something to be admired.

The rhythm! Oh, the rhythm is tight. The bass/drum sync is spot-on brilliant and makes this album so amazing. Chris Kael makes a wonderful debut, and gets his own little solo on" Generation Dead", even! Jeremy Spencer delivers a brutal double-bass drum pummeling. He too gets his little moment on the title track. But, i do wish we got maybe some slightly more aggressive drums, but is hectic enough to please. The rhythm section does get a little repetitive (yet amazingly synced), that said.

The lyrics and vocals are great as ever. Ivan Moody continues to live up to his name, delivering angry throaty growls and clean, harmonic vocals. The lyrics are aggressive and angry. The growling hate-filled verses come and kick your skull in, and the clean, harmonized vocals come in and finish the job with an equal amount of sheer aggression. The lyrics are both really angry, and highly intelligent. I'd go so far as to describe some of it as poetry. In short, my ears hurt.



"Under and Over It" is the first single, and it's a brilliant example to sum up FFDP. It's full of all the anger and aggression, fast paced drums, sizable riffs, and some deep, catchy lyrics. "The Pride" is a brilliant list song, as Mr. Moody runs down pop culture icons and brand names. It's the most blatant about commercialism, and a sarcastic comment on our materialistic obsession. These guys have perfected every sonic element for sure.

"Coming Down" is the first softer, acoustic song on Capitalist. It's a music suicide note that's touching, as well as FFDP tough. Moody's voice reaches new heights, and Bathony/Hook top things off nicely with some wicked distortion.

"OHHHHHH YEAHHHHHH!! **** IT.", screams Moody before we are bludgeoned by the brilliant double-bass stomp and the guitarists curb stomp you into submission. The bass/drum sync really do shine here, and the solo fits in so perfectly. One of the heaviest tracks, and it's catchy, but "Menace" ends, and the groovy bass and guitar distortion lead nicely into "Generation Dead".

FFDP get "real" with "I Remember Everything" which beings with Moody bearing his soul and flaws in a letter to his family. It slowly builds up to a true "sky full of lighters" (sky full of iPhones?) chorus. Honest as it gets.

"Wicked Ways" is super catchy and sort of punky in its own way. "If I Fall" is another good example of everything FFDP. It starts out with a slow intro, then blasts into a full on assault of thee aforementioned double-bass and hyperspace-speed riff, while Moody spits out "If I Fall, I'm dragging everybody down."

"100 Ways to Hate" is a metallic, atomic assault. Everything gets caught in the mushroom cloud. It's a giant middle finger to all y'all haters, and ends poetically with an "eff you".

American Capitalist is easily the best Five Finger Death Punch album. They seem more confident, and have perfected their sound. It's a brilliant assault of all things great about heavy metal. "Bass drum kick that'll blow out your eyes", lightspeed, low riffs, excellent solos. It has poetic, intelligent, angry lyrics with some great gruff verses and epic, harmonic choruses. I think it's the best album of the year. Haters gonna hate.

Hollywood Undead gets a lot of hate, but I feel it's unjust. I'm no diehard, but I like me some Hollywood Undead. That said, when evaluated on their own merits, the L.A.-based rap-rock sextet can deliver a very pleasing album full of great beats, and catchy vocals. Plus plenty of distorted guitar give it some weight and grit. Hollywood Undead pick up where they left off with their 2008 hit, Swan Songs. American Tragedy is a darker, funner, booze-soaked ride. Still all the tongue-in-cheek sort of self awareness, but with a little more edge.

The album starts out amazingly strong with the crunching, industrial "Been to Hell", and closes very nicely with a the underrated rap-rock classic "Tendencies". It's electric and murderous. The Linkin Park-sounding "Levitate" is fantastic as well. "I Don't Wanna Die" is reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails. Could be considered fairly emo, but I'm not sure I care. "Apologize" is a highly self aware to which goes down real smooth with the new vocalist, who sounds like a mix of Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, and Justin Timberlake (?). It's a great slap in the face to all the haters. "We don't apologize, and that's just the way it is." The ballads are very forgettable, and really don't do it for me. "Coming Back Down", "Hear Me Now", the like. Really, the only ballad that worked was "Pour Me", in which Johnny 3 Tears pours his guts out and bears his lonely, boozed soul. It has a really great hook, and a dark ballad. Real, true genius lies in "Bullet", a disturbingly upbeat and catchy song about a man longing for suicide. It's probably the album's sunniest track, despite the dark subject matter.

This album though is tonal. It's hard to flip-flop between your "Been to Hell"s and "I Don't Wanna Die"s to blatant and unsubtle tracks like "Gangsta Sexy". But the party anthem "Comin' In Hot" is a guilty pleasure. It's foul, it stupid, but it's catchy and just metallic enough. Charlie Scene dishes out wisdom such as "man sword". These tracks are og course purposely vulgar and edgy. I just can't place if they're doing it on purpose or if they're trying to be tough gangstas...

Overall, American Tragedy is at least worth checking out, especially to those disappointed with Linkin Park's A Thousand Suns. It's amazingly catchy, no doubt. Killer hooks, distorted guitars, aplenty. Hollywood Undead still do have sort of a identity crisis, have one foot in the typical party lifestyle of drugs and women, and another foot in the dark and surreal. I can still appreciate it for what it is, and it's a perfect follow up to Swan Songs, if not better.

The Magic Momet At Papa Murphy's.

Ahh yes. Well, here's another story about pretty much nothing.

It was a snowy night. One of the first in little old Lehi, Utah. Anyway, it was a magical sight. My friends and I decided to cut through the Papa Murphy's parking lot. But, why just walk? Why just swagger? No, no, we danced in the falling snow. We pranced in the parking lot, and two employees noticed us and came out with us. We danced until the employees notice two of their co-workers standing outside on the other side of the building. They immediately stop frolicking.
"What are you doing?! Get the (f-word) back in the store! You're supposed to be closing!" One of the employees said, pointing at the store.
"Just smoking a cig, (b-word)!" the co-worker cooly replied.

And I laughed and laughed. That's my tale.

Smash.

Smash propelled The Offspring into the mainstream. Many would be nay sayers, but I felt The Offspring still had all of their credibility when Smash came out. Smash set the bar high for both the band and punk music in general. The album smashed (dohoho) records by being one of the most popular albums by a then indie band. Smash in my opinion is their personal best.

Time to Relax
Just the intro. It informs us to relax and enjoy the finer things in life. Not The Offspring's best album intro track (Have to give it Conspiracy of One), but it's still pretty tops.

Nitro (Youth Energy)
This song is just huge. Smash starts out fast and intense. There isn't a slow, dull moment in this song. The fast drum rolls, heavy guitars and wailing vocals are skull crushing. Easily the best Offspring opener. It's rivaled only by Ignition's "Session", but this is faster and louder. It tells one to live life to fullest, and to let go of the past. "Our generations/Sees the world not the same as before/We might as well just throw it all/And live like there's no tomorrow."

Bad Habit
This song starts out simple and slow. The wailing vocals are present, but there is a slow bass line, and it draws you in. It then explodes into full madness. The song is about road rage, and pulling out a pistol whenever a bad driver cuts him off. It isn't deep on any level, but it's both funny and intense. It's a fast, explicative filled ride.

Gotta Get Away
One of the three single from Smash. This song is definitely slower, and more stable. It has a more grunge type feeling to it, and it stands out as the black sheep on Smash. It's still just as good as the other, more pumped up song. The song was written about the pressure of getting the album done recording by 1993. The lyrics are rather grumpy, but it's catchy and has a great bass line.

Genocide
This song is just great. It's has more of a social edge, and is more punk for sure. "Dog eat dog / Every day / On our fellow man we prey / Dog eat dog / To get by / Hope you like my genocide." It's one of the songs that give Smash it's edge. One of the best.

Something to Believe In
The greatness continues on! It begins with some nice bass riffs and drum beats, but the guitar is tad lazy, I suppose. The overtone is centered on religion and it sounds terrific. The chorus is moving, and Dexter's voice is melodic in a way. They lyrical content is sensitive, yet very fast paced and energetic. Great.

Come Out and Play (Gotta Keep 'em Separated)
Another single. Even if you aren't an Offspring fan, you know this one. This song has a certain style that sets it apart from the rest. It's a little more Nirvana-alternative with some surf rock, as opposed to the rib-crushing punk. It has the catchy little "Gotta keep 'em separated!" hook and an excellent main riff. The song is about school violence, I believe. The gangs stake their own campus locale/And if they catch you slippin' then it's all over pal/If one guy's color and the others don't mix/They're gonna bash it up, bash it up, bash it up, bash it up. Excellent song, easily one of the best. What could top it?

Self Esteem
The third single. Self Esteem is a tragic masterpiece. It's about the one-sided relationship, and it works. The memorable "La, la, lala, la, la, lala" intro is strange, yet effective. The song is slower, and the guitars are lower (rhyming). That said, the crunching guitar appears in all the right places and the "yeah" chants all mix with the slow beat to make this. I would say this is the best song off of Smash, and The Offspring's all-time best. It's worth checking out, even if you aren't a fan.

It'll Be a Long Time
Typical Offspring punk song. It rocks literally and metaphorically.

Killboy Powerhead
This is a cover the Digits song. This song doesn't really have any deeper meaning. The lyrics are fast, but "Killboy powerhead" is still sung in glorious Offspring style. It carries on the strong energy and fun from the previous songs, and makes me want to smash something.

What Happened to You?
This song ditches the fast punk and goes for a more up-beast, peppier route. It's got a really catchy sound, and a great chorus only The Offspring can deliver. It's humorous and fast. A bright, fast, peppy song about a friend's drug abuse. I would say this is one of my favorites.

So Alone
A sucker punch. It's got a really short running time of about 1:20, but still is filled the fast-paced Offspring joy. It's a little short for it's own good, really. It's over before you know it.

Not the One
This song is really catchy. It's like Nitro part II, a fast paced punk song which I think talks about how the world got messed up by earlier generations. Standard Smash fair, but still fun to listen to. It's really sad as it is almost the end of the album.

Smash
The final song and namesake of "Smash". It's like Nitro part III, except I prefer it to both of them. It as the typical fast lyrics and catchy chant, sure to be remembered for it's shock value. It's catchy, and has a nice edge. The underdog of the group, and kind of the final commentary.
Soon after, there is the demo for Come Out an Play. More Arabian sounding.

Overall, Smash is fast, fun, edgy, and intense ride, start to finish. The choruses are catchy, the drum beat is fast, the guitar is crunching and the bass is stiff. It can get a little repetitive, and it's not very deep, but the pros outweigh the cons.

Best Track: Self Esteem
Lesser Track: So Alone

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Yes, I have fallen into the cute, diabetes inducing trap that is My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

The series premise pretty much goes like this:

Twilight Sparkle is a pupil of Equestria's ruler, Princess Celestia, and being seen buried in her book and studies and such, was sent by Celestia to go make friends. Her assistant, a baby dragon named Spike, goes along with her. She meets Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. They pretty much explore the town, and solve various problems. Each episode usually ends with Twilight writing back to Celestia the lesson of friendship she learned.

Twilight Sparkle - A unicorn pony, she is Princess Celestia's dearest pupil and at first considered the pursuit of knowledge to be if higher importance than making friends and socializing, but early on in the series, Princess Celestia orders her to take a break from her studies and visit Ponyville to learn the importance of friendship. This proved to be the key to unlocking the "Elements of Harmony" and defeating Nightmare Moon. She decides to stay in Ponyville and study friendship with her mentor's blessings. Her part in the Elements of Harmony is magic.

Applejack - An earth pony. She is dependable and sensible, but also stubborn and a wee bit selfish. She also comes from a large family of apple-name related members who run an apple orchard and an apple business. Her part in the Elements of Harmony is honesty.

Rainbow Dash - A Pegasus pony. She is brave and bold, but also mischievous and proud, but can be kind of a jerk. She can fly super fast (sound barrier breaking fast), with the help of the other pegasus ponies, has the job of clearing clouds out of the sky and otherwise changing the weather. In addition, she aspires becoming a member of Equestria's aerial flight team, the Wonderbolts. Her part in the Elements of Harmony is loyalty.

Pinkie Pie- An earth pony. She is an obsessive party planner who is a total riot, talkative, and a bit air-headed. She also enjoys singing and playing pranks, with the exception of Fluttershy. Rarely does she not have a smile one her face. Her part in the Elements of Harmony is laughter.

Fluttershy - A Pegasus pony. She is sweet, calm, timid, and very shy in social events (thus Fluttershy), but when pushed, she mans up and can be forceful. Despite this demeanor, she has a great love for animals and is willing to help them at any cost. It was revealed that she is a year older than Pinke Pie. Her part in the Elements of Harmony is kindness.

Rarity - A unicorn pony. She is very stylish and beautiful, as she is interested in fashion and wishes to be the center of attention. She considers herself a lady and often acts sophisticated. She can also be very dramatic and at times distraught. She dreams of becoming a designer for Princess Celestia and marrying Celestia's nephew. In some episodes, Spike is shown to have a crush on Rarity. Her part in the Elements of Harmony is generosity.

This show is just a joy to watch. I mean, fighting space robots are nice, but this show is just nice. I'm going to be honest and say that I like it as much (if not more) that the new Transformers show (Prime). It get's me through Friday. I go through school knowing that when I get home, My Little Pony is there waiting for me. I'm not the only one outside of the target demographic that likes it, it spread through out /co/ like wildfire, and quickly became a legitimate meme on KnowYourMeme.com. It's produced a slew of "Reaction faces", and Derpy Hooves spun off into her own meme, in face. Voted "Best New Show of 2010" by Nick and More. This show draws you in with it's cuteness, and punches you in the gut with it's smart writing forcing you to stay for the season. The art style is really great. It's highly stylized and cute, but not in a crappy way. The facial expressions are great. You can tell the animators were having fun with it. We have Lauren Faust of Powerpuff Girl's fame for this. I eagerly await the second season.

Until next time, bronies.

One sentence review of ToyFair: Meh.

Technically not a sentence. Lacks a subject and verb.