Back 2 Life

I very seriously doubt the few people that did take a look at what I wrote in the first place will still be checking around here after I've been off the radar for 2 years.

I've been through a lot, and I'm better for it on the other side.

I can't say that what I'll comment about now will be any more useful or interesting, but I am going to try to put up things on a more regular basis.

To any friends that only had this as a link to where I was, I'm still around. You need to catch up, drop me a line at chernab0g@hotmail.com.

To anyone else, I offer this to you - if you are in love, tell that person right now how much. If you are sad, listen to some music. It can be happy music that you can't resist, or it can be the darkest blues that help make you break through the sorrow, but let music do its magical best to help your mood. If you feel like you can't seem to find your Christmas spirit, give a gift of yourself to a stranger. Buying a gift for the friends at the office, or even your family can feel like just another part of a list, but if you do something selfless and different, you'll be hard pressed not to feel warm even on a cold, wet night like this...

Get Up Stand Up

I'm not sure if it's the juxtaposition of man's decent into a mutated sense of over-masculinity against the desire to understand the post-revolution woman, but I am faced with a very serious peeve.

Maybe I'm alone in this one, and I'm the one with the problem, but why are there so many piss sissies lately?

This phenomenon is limited to the men's bathroom, so allow me to clarify exactly what I mean (for those of you who have never been within). A gentleman's lavatory consists of: urinals, toilet stalls, sink(s) and paper towel dispenser, or the dreaded "blow dryer of death" that seems to assail you with enough force to peel skin, yet still leaves your hands moist.

For whatever reason, more and more men seem inclined to urinate standing up in a bathroom stall instead of using the urinal, for which it stands. Let me say that I completely understand that if the urinals are all occupado, then certainly the stall is your only option, and by all means, let loose like Victoria Falls, or the proverbial racehorse.

I'm not sure if these men are just ashamed of their penis size, or completely homo-phobic, but I'd probably guess the former over the latter as the root cause. I realize that there is a certain amount of pseudo-disrobing that is necessary, but unless you're an exhibitionist or you are actually saddled with a genuine voyeur, there's nothing exposed to any easily-visible sightlines. Maybe there's an entire generation of men that are coming from parents that allow school and television to teach, and something is simply missing in their education.

I suppose it could be worse - if the gents were heading into the stalls and sitting down to pee, that would be an even bigger problem.

Although this may seem like an odd grievance, I had to get it off my chest. I don't think it's too much to ask. We're not in Germany, and we aren't haunted by femi-nazi "toilet ghosts", so there's really no reason for all of this.

All I'm asking is that you stand up and take matters into your own hands. Man up, and use the urinals before they become extinct. If you allow that to happen, then maybe you're in the wrong restroom to begin with...

Light of Love

there once was a shadow who longed
to be more, to reclaim wonder of long ago
the dark was thrilling and freeing
but there was much to slip between the fingers
resigned to the sentence of night
bound to the blackness of saying no
drunk on the most bitter tinctures
till only the aftertaste of regret lingers
abused, denied, betrayed and wronged
but the greatest wounds all self-inflicted
hope was the punchline to the funniest joke
that he would never learn to laugh

the shadow could smile, could mimic and pretend
this spectre would become son, brother or friend
white-washed just enough to nearly best
the noir that separated him from the rest

swinging around, as by a derelict puppeteer
slung poorly on strings of condemned and convicted
while mangled gestures and crude emotions
tumbled out along his blind path
he knew of the light of day, but not wholly
more like the etiolated impressions of infancy
stolen memories of someone he might have been
or perhaps just wished he could be
here is the character, almost solely
bound to the stone that whistles downward
through the abyss only the maker has seen
in the center of what could be a great heart

half hidden and heavy-lidded, he proceeds
driven but aimless, traveling without moving
skirting the light while tethered to the gravity
of mothing a flame he can neither possess nor extinguish
in twilight he grapples with the weight
of his flicker that will leave no proving
no anti-sun ever cast shade on the beaming world
yet even a dying light helps an umbra distinguish

if passing is my purpose, the footfalls full
as I lose my dreams, yet feel their pull
of shimmering, shining purpose untamed
only to sing the unsung with a title unnamed

though I cling to the life that beats me down
I have moments of purity that thrill my soul
by grace, I am still granted so much good
as the veil never obscures, and I live the lesson true
if I let pity reign, my tears would drown
I would rather battle and miss a worthy goal
I always strive to be more than misunderstood
by faith, cause dark substance, in a sunbeam, to imbue
I have loved light, and in return, but never can possess it
I have been accepted, but never belong, and I can only bless it
bless the light, the love, and those who bask
in the glow of that elusive bright
of the eyes that see this dimness, I can only ask
that you cast me in a forgiving light

Muse - Black Holes and Revelations

ALBUM REVIEW

If you've read any of my blog, then you'll notice that I really dig these guys. This album is no different. I do my very best to be objective, and I'll call them when they make a bad song. It's just that they really don't make that many. This album is being slated as the sequel to "Absolution", but I think that if it is, then it's a sequel like Empire is to A New Hope.

This album has so many different influences and styles on it, it would seem scattegorical mounted by anyone else. Matthew Bellamy's vocals wail and soar above the very dense sound that this three-piece can create. Chris Wolstenholme's bass work is sometimes limited by the straight-forward rhythm of some of the songs, but he usually finds ways to shine throughout. Dominic Howard provides the framework for all of thundering and pounding of the hardest rocking songs, and the understated backbone to the stripped down softer tunes. Musically, they never cease to amaze me. Vocally, the leads and the harmonies all sound fantastic to me. Lyrically, they even manage to step above the typical "goth" and give real feeling to some of their bleaker themes, and true heart in their poignant moments as well. This is a very fine album, so let me get into telling you why I think so.

I know that I may give you another band as a reference of how someone sounds. Even though I try to avoid it, it seems almost inevitable, and a very effective way to let you know what to expect. "Take A Bow" is techno- tinged Emerson, Lake & Palmer. I'm not just saying that because that band has my last name in it - I'm saying it because it's true. From the spacey keyboards that start things off to the guitars that eventually come in, this is grand, sweeping strokes. There is almost always a touch of outer space in all of Muse's work, but this one clearly embraces that aesthetic. It's not my favorite way to open an album, but it's no throw-away track either.

"Starlight" was the first track I latched onto from this album, and it's still one of my favorites. Vocals to the fore on this romantic track, and keyboards in the front seat also. The chorus is simple, and yet very evocative to me. I count this as one of my favorite songs they do overall. This definitely has already made it's way onto several mix CD's.

There's a bit of Mr. Roboto hiding in the circuits of "Supermassive Black Hole". The title of the track is given in a electrified voice effect, and that suits the song just fine. This is danceable, fuzzy guitared funkiness with a slithering vocal track that would make Prince proud. It's got a lot going on, and a lot going for it, and it's hard not to get into the groove.

The new new wave is here. Echoing guitars that sound like they're reverberating off the rings of Saturn drench this complex and intoxicating song. This song is so thick with sonic goodies, I feel full when I'm done listening to it. I think that "Map of the Problematic" is a fantastic song, and it might be where I introduce people to Muse from now on.

"Soldier's Poem" is a short, somber funeral. It's whispered vocals show that there is a beauty to mourning. The words are haunting, and particularly powerful right now. I don't like political statements, but this is almost so touching that it goes beyond that.

Guitars come whistling by like the howling wind in "Invincible", which plays out like a loping love poem written while listening to Pink Floyd. It's strong, and seamless, and very good stuff.

If the last song had you drifting, "Assassin" gets you racing. From the middle-eastern maelstrom of the intro, we slip into a thrashing beat. This is disciplined chaos, or frantic symmetry. Fast and fierce and relentless, and I love that about it.

"Exo-Politics" is probably my least favorite song on the album. That being said, it struts in like a bully, daring you to ignore it, and then has the nerve to throw a theremin in there, just because it can. The only real problem I have with it is that it sounds a little too much like other Muse songs, and just doesn't resonate with me as it's own new creation like the rest of the album.

Typically, the addition of strings in rock tends to either fail miserably, and just sound odd, or make the entire track sound like an ELO throwback. "City of Delusion" doesn't do either of those. It begins understated, with acoustic guitar, and it makes that first verse something special when the strings come in. The strings weave through the song, like the thick plume of smoke from the Arabian hookah that they seem spawned from. As a bonus, if you listen closely, you can hear a great impersonation of a didgeridoo.

"Hoodoo" is, by definition, a magic spell. From the opening drunken flamenco, that leads to pleading vocals seeking solace, this song puts a mean whammy on you. Piano comes crashing in like the locomotive hinted at in the lyrics at that point, and just adds more layers of intensity. A sampling of why I do enjoy these songs lyrically can be found at the end of this song:

I've had recurring nightmares
that I was loved for who I am
and missed the opportunity
to be a better man

If you think they saved the best for last, then you may be right. "Knights of Cydonia" is a fantastic song. It's an electro-galloping epic that the Magnificent Seven wish they had ridden to. If you're familiar with Stephen King's The Dark Tower series, this song belongs with Roland, and his ka-tet. For those of you unfamiliar, imagine a world with medieval chivalry, magic of the arcane and the technological, and a cowboy leading the way. It's such a satisfying way to end this album.

All in all, this might be my favorite Muse album. I'm trying to weigh it against the others, and be sure that it's not just the newness talking, but I do believe it's filled with many wonderful new songs that have and will continue to be great with each listen. I believe I've said before that Muse definitely has a sound, and if you really don't like it, you might want to leave them alone. I think it would be a shame not to listen to this album, even if you have tried them in the past.

Rating = ****1/2 out of 5 stars

Avenged Sevenfold

Leave it to me not to put anything up here for so long, and come back on such an odd note, but it seems to be my way.

I know that it's not a recent film, and I certainly know now just what kind of a film it is, but I must warn you all of a menace. You know those movies that you mean to go see, but don't get to, and then you mean to rent, or watch on cable, and you still don't ever seem to be in the mood? One day, it just clicks, and you have motive and opportunity, and you flip on one of these movies.

It's a remake of a very good television show, with one of the hottest chicks that ever was on TV. The movie version has what should be a fantastic cast. Most of them can act their pants off (although the one you'd like to do that doesn't, at least in my opinion). For a bonus, it even has my favorite comedian in a small role.

I know I haven't given you much to work on there, so I'll end the suspense. The "movie" in question was "The Avengers". Classic TV, suave, and distinctly British, but in the good way, not in the one that makes you just want to slap 'em. The cast assembled is Ralph Fiennes, Sean Connery, and Uma Thurman. Sounds good so far, right? Oh, if only.

I will admit that I didn't pay complete attention to the entire film. That's not to say that my review of it isn't fair, or that I didn't see enough of it to give an accurate accounting of it's merit. It's just that I spent the better part of every scene looking around in disbelief, trying to find someone that could explain why the movie sucked so badly.

You know the cheesiness of a Pink Panther movie that's part of it's charm? Imagine achieving that unintentionally. The acting was weak on all accounts. The storyline was crack'd, even for over-the-top espionage plotlines. There was no chemistry between John Steed and Emma Peel, and that's just a travesty.

I'd give you a synopsis of the plot, but I really can't bring myself to do that. What I will talk just a little bit longer about is the singularly most bizarre element of the film. For no discernible reason, the bad guy(Connery) and his henchmen all don oversized, sports team mascot-like bear costumes. They're brightly colored, and look like a Grateful Dead album. There's an odd symmetry to that, because [please forgive the journey to the vulgarium] the writers of this film, if not the actors themselves, had to be TRIPPING BALLS to come up with something so ridiculously unnecessary and against type. I'm a man that's in full support of surrealism, but that's not what this was. It was just painful.

I love movies, and I enjoy a great deal of them. I like movies that I know are bad, but that's why I love them. This movie is bad in a way that only a mother could love, and she'd probably be lying too.

I really doubt that any of you reading this will have any reason or cause to watch something this old, but it happened to be On-Demand, and I watched it, and I wish I could have that time back. If I had any left, I'd say it stole my innocence. I see a movie like this, and I understand why there's a Die Hard 4 in production. I welcome a tired sequel at this point, with my arms wide open, and my disbelief as suspended as it can be...

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium

ALBUM REVIEW

I know this album isn't exactly new at this point, but it doesn't make it any less enjoyable. It's safe to say that I've always been a fan of these guys, and what's continued to amaze me is that as they mellow, they've been able to produce some really choice songs that are often only fully appreciated with distance. I know that everyone heard "Under the Bridge" a zillion times, but if you can go back, and listen to it now, it's really something great.

While the fellas can still be madcap, zany, raunchy and wild, it's the moments when they show what they've learned along the way that really standout. This is a double album, which is an undertaking that immediately gains my attention. The question is always whether the artist just had a lot of junk laying around and couldn't edit themselves, or did they create a really big something good. I think that this album is the latter. Not only is the musicianship here some of the best the band's put forth, but there is a feeling that these two discs of music are a part of one cohesive record.

It doesn't hold a lot of rockers on it, but it does have a lot of guitar nonetheless. You can't have Flea in your band, and not end up with some great bass work, and that's still there as well. I will say that Anthony Kiedis' greatest strength as a vocalist is that he's not a great one. He gets the most out of what he has, and I can't begin to tell you how happy I am that both Flea and the returned John Frusciante provide backing and harmony vocals for him.

As with almost any album, there are some tracks I love, and others I could have done without. This is really a nice batch of music though, so let's get along to the cosmos they hath wrought.

If you haven't seen the video for the single "Dani California" then just listen to the song first. It is an excellent bouncing romp in typical fashion, and will have you hooked rather easily. There's a real thunder to the guitars in the chorus, but they're almost hidden behind the catchy vocals. The Peppers always seem to have a killer single from their albums, and this is no exception. Speaking of that video, it's one of the best of the year, as it takes us down many a musical path of the past with uncanny accuracy(and a freakin' awesome guitar solo).

The fluid guitar run that flows through "Snow (Hey Oh) is what grabbed me right away. The song tumbles along musically, and the vocals counterpoint at each juxtaposition. There's almost a rhythmic chant quality to this song, and it's definitely one of my favorites from the whole bunch.

There's nothing wrong with throwing a sunny, funky song that's just slap-bassy, and wacka-chicka guitary enough to make you feel at home. Sure, the guys can probably do "Charlie" standing on their head, and this might have just been some improv that became a song. It doesn't set the world on fire, but it doesn't make you want to leave either.

There's a very plaintive lilt to the spacey lyrics and the whole title track. "Stadium Arcadium" is all whispy and Milky Way, and as with some of the words, you might have to listen and delve a little to get the point, but there's always one there. Is it my favorite song? No, but it's really good music to have on to just lay back a little while.

Ahhh, the ultra funkee jam that is nothing but innuendo and bravado! Now we're in Pepperland. "Hump De Bump" is a straightforward song about Keidis' youth disguised as a Sly & the Family Stone jamboree. It's strictly undeniable, and a whole lot of fun with abandon.

For whatever reason, "She's Only 18" doesn't really grab me too much. It's once again a well-crafted song, and it's got hooks too. I am probably alone in my perception, but I feel like there's almost a bit of Cream in this one. I know that it's better to just describe a song on it's own merit, but I felt the need to put that one out there.

Maybe I was just gearing myself up for "Slow Cheetah" on that last track. This is a fantastically stripped-down ballad of dusty trails. It's sage brush and the way the shadows flicker from a campfire. If you listen really closely, I swear you can hear a coyote in the background. This has gotten many spins since my first listen, and it doesn't lose a thing.

"Torture Me" is a song that seems to be played at breakneck speed. I don't mean it's hyper-speed funk licks like Bad Brains or anything. I just mean that there's this feeling of being on the edge of control in this song. Everything seems pushed to the limits, and the keening vocals unpinned by softer, sweeter tones swirls together to make a very interesting blend.

I enjoy the sound that "Strip My Mind" has found. They've made vocals into their own instrument, and play a chorus of voices backmasked and warped over one another till it sounds like some mystical Native American chant from a sweat lodge fever dream. The lyrics might be cryptic, but the song is easy to understand as a plea against outward controls.

Have you ever wondered what an anthemic song with lyrics that seem to be an homage to Shel Silverstein would sound like? Grab yourself a seat, and listen in to "Especially In Michigan" and you'll be there. I've always been a big fan of nonsense, and there are a lot of songs by the Red Hot Chili Peppers where the words are just a means to an end. I know that as musicians, it seems a shame to make a song that has lyrics if you're just going to make their delivery for delivering's sake, but I feel like that's what they've done here. Mind you, I think it's a very good song, even if I don't rightly know what it's about. Maybe you will...

I think that aside from the obvious connection, "Warlock" sounds a lot like "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" to me. There's that disjointed, stutter-step to the rhythm section that just keeps your interest all the way through. It doesn't hurt that it happens to have the late, great Billy Preston on there either.

There's another tribal feel to "C'mon Girl". The verses might be typical faire, but the chorus has a call-and-response sort of groove to it. That's not to say that those pace changes don't play well off of one another, and make for a very good song. It's a classic tale of boy meets girl, with dragons and laundromats.

The bluesy confessional of "Wet Sand" rolls along in an old pickup truck down a road with spanish moss hanging from the trees like curtains. It's one of those laid back ditties that I do so enjoy from these guys, and it's definitely another favorite. I think that it might be a real treat to see an acoustic set sometime in the future, with this featured.

We come to the end of disc one with "Hey", which sounds a little too much like some of the other songs we've heard before by this point. It's not a bad one, but it just seems like it could have been more.

Disc two starts of slowly. No big punch driving this one. It's "Desecration Smile" that comes humming in. It's a slow ballad, and very mellow. It's not pretty, but it's something close.

"Tell Me Baby" sounds a little bit like a mash-up of a few of the delivery methods of the band. It has the rap-like delivery of a "Give It Away", as well as the staccato bounce of a "Can't Stop", and then there's a sublime chorus that's instantly likeable, like the title track of Californication. If you've got to slap together a little retread Frankenstein's monster, then you could do a lot worse than this. It's definitely one of my favorite songs on here.

As the notes seem to fade and burn in and out in this song, "Hard To Concentrate" softly sneaks in some really touchingly sweet lyrics. This is a very romantic song, and also manages to be really enjoyable musically too. Another gem worth mining.

I should like "21st Century" more than I do. It has some blistering hot guitar work, and it even has a break that mimics the theme from Shaft, but overall, for whatever reason, it leaves me cold.

It's only fair that a song like "She Looks To Me" would become instantly appealing to me, based on the lyrics alone. Here is a roadsong, soaked in loneliness, and singing about the girl that looks to you to make things alright, and keep this world from making too little sense. This is definitely my favorite song on this disc, and I haven't decided if it's the best of both yet.

We delve a little heavier on "Readymade", and get some deep, grinding riffs going on. It's still not really heavy, but it's definitely the first song this disc that is a bit more straightforward from a rock standpoint. To me, it feels a little out of place here, and maybe a little like the drunk uncle in terms of awkwardness.

"If" doesn't share any of the same words as the Rudyard Kipling poem, but it is a poetic song. It's much like a lullaby, and is simple, and soft and beautiful. The guitar seems to coax it along, and the vocals are practically whispered. It's destined for heavy rotation on many mixdiscs.

Can you picture a throwback 60's pop song called "Make You Feel Better"? If you can't, then step right up, and press play, because that's what we have here. From the crisp drumming, the vocal nods, and the overall mood, this is just pure pop, and it's really good stuff.

"Animal Bar" has a lot of soul in it. You can feel it bubbling all the way through. For me, throw some Hammond organ on this, and a few sisters singing backup, and you've got a tour de force. As it is, it's a good tune, and definitely worth listening to, even if you can just hear the echoes of what might have been like I do.

We pick up the pace, and set it to frenetic on "So Much I". Vocal squawks and a desperation that lends itself to something between new wave and punk.

Straightforward rocker is the name of the game for "Storm In A Teacup". The story of a little girl lost, painted in broad musical strokes, and lyrical ones as well.

With a song titled "We Believe" you almost have to expect something anthemic. Although this isn't quite blatant, there's definitely a feel that the harmonics on the chorus, and all the backing vocals are made for a sweeping hook in the chorus, and the verses aren't too angular or odd to take away from the momentum of the song.

Just when I thought the disc was going to go out with a whimper, here comes "Turn It Again". From the tasty little lick that provides the waves to ride on this morsel o' goodness, to the strong chorus that drives the point home, this is what happens when a band that always keeps it funky can blend in the flavors to make something wholesome that'll stick to your ribs.

Swirling off into the cosmos they've painted, "Death Of A Martian" wraps things up with everything and the free-form poetry sink. It's more of a jangly, goofy note, but maybe that's how this should end. It's not cookie-cutter rock that needs to end on the power chord. It's odd, and it's special, and if you give it time, you may find that you really can enjoy what they're trying to do, even if you don't always know how they're getting you there.

I think this is a successful double album. I've heard that they have even more material to get into the studio on, and I can only think that's a good thing.

Rating = ***1/2 out of 5 stars

The Battle of Evermore

I've been meaning to put something up here about a movie that I've been excited to see since I took a gander at the graphic novel. Now that it's actually being made into a movie, and the trailer has landed, I'm ever more enthused to go see it.

The movie and book in question is simply named "300". It's a very visually compelling looking flick, and a whole lot of visceral fun. The same technique of filming everything against a blank digital slate, like Frank Miller's last project "Sin City", gives this film an other-worldy glow that seems to expand upon the grand scale of the battle.

The story here is one of legend, and it involves the combination of an irrepressable force of will, and the very best use of location on the battlefield. Our story centers around King Leonidas, his Spartans, and the Battle of Thermopylae.

You either love Frank Miller's style of storytelling or you don't. The same thing goes for the look of his projects in comic books. If you'd like a look at the source material, you can preview 7 pages of the graphic novel here.

If you check out the video diaries on the official site (linked in the title of this post), you can see some of the behind the scenes work. What is especially intriguing is the training sequence. You can see that the actors were put through rigorous training, unlike normal "get big and buff" type Hollywood stuff. These guys actually developed stamina and a bit of the iron strength that the Spartans they're portraying had, and it really shows the dedication to the craft.

If you like this sort of thing, then this should be the sort of thing you like. Wanna see the purty trailer, then Sparta up yon.