Staind - Live From the Mohegan Sun

I've always kind of liked Staind, but from a distance.  They are one of those buzz-rock bands, that are either hot or cold with me.   I've bought a few of their releases over the years, but they are not a band I follow on a regular basis.  I usually wait to hear something on Octane (Sirius/XM) before deciding whether or not to pluck down the money for the CD.  To me, Staind fell into the same pattern, as so many of their contemporaries, by scoring it big with a ballad, and then going more commercial.  The funny thing about this band, is that they can turn it up when they want to, but unfortunately they only get recognized for their more commercial material.  That being said, the band has just released their first live CD, Live from the Mohegan Sun, which proves that they are more than just a pop band.

I got to say I was very impressed by this CD.  The band comes off sounding aggressive and pissed off.  This recording demonstrates just how heavy these guys can get.  Also while listening, I realized just how much of their material I knew.  I knew just about every song on the disk.  Of course, all of the hits are there, and there are quite a few, but there are a few hidden gems included as well.  The band sound well, which makes for a stellar live recording.  I never thought I would say this prior to listening to the disk, but I cannot wait to see this one on DVD.  They made me a believer.

Bottom Line: Staind showing that they can sound heavy, while still crossing over to the mainstream.  A killer 16 songs set played to perfection.

-Ragman was surprised with this one.

Zombie Undead

With the success of films like Shaun of the Dead, the remake of Dawn of the Dead and the TV series The Walking Dead, it seems like zombie flicks/shows have made a comeback.  Once this genre started making some coin, like vampire movies/shows, the public got bombarded with product.  I swear every time I go to a Blockbuster or Redbox, it seems like there is at least a half a dozen zombie flicks to choose from.  Don't get me wrong, I love good zombie flick, ask wifey, but when these things get mass generated the way they have, then you have to separate the shit from the shine-ola.  My latest endeavor into zombie mania was Zombie Undead.  Let's see how it fares.

Zombie Undead is about a zombie infestation that is created by a guy that sets off a dirty bomb in the form of a grenade, which transforms most of the people in this small village into zombies.  Pretty damned strong grenade huh?  Long story short, the movie focuses on some sole survivors that are trapped in a hospital trying to locate their relatives, before they are eaten by zombies.  Sounds good on paper, but this one turned into somewhat of a bore-fest.  Not enough action and too much dialog.  If you're watching a zombie flick, you need action and plenty of gore, and this one fell short on both.  The only positive is the special effects weren't bad, unfortunately everything else was.

Bottom Line: A zombie soap opera.  Lots of drama and dialog, but not enough action and killing.  Too bad this one had promise.

-Ragman thinks this one was dead before it made it to the DVD player.

I Spill Your Guts

I Spill Your Guts is about two friends (Dennis and Joe) from NY, that go off to war together.  During the war Dennis, ends up almost dying, by taking a bullet for Joe during an ambush.  When it looks as though Dennis will not make it home alive, Joe decides to embellish the story, to make it look like he is some sort of war hero.  Long story short, Joe makes it back home as a hero, but little does he know, his friend Dennis has returned with him.  Dennis goes on a murder spree, killing all those close to Joe, before taking vengeance on his dear friend Joe.  Sounds fun doesn't it?

I Spill Your Guts is a slice em and dice em B-flick, set to Metal music.  The acting is okay, but the story is so fun it doesn't matter that the actors aren't top notch.  The movie is cheesey with lots of gory/cheap effects.  This movie seemed like a throw back to low budget horror films in the 80's.  The kill scenes are cool, but as people are getting their lives handed to them, it is almost comical how cheesey the effect were.  I hope this is what the director was shooting, because if it was, it sold me.  My only critique is that the music sometimes overpowered the dialog, other than that, this one was a hoot.

Bottom Line: Low budget horror done right.  This one won't scare ya, but it may make you chuckle a little.

-Ragman is diggin on the Tenpoint track I Alone, from the soundtrack.

Havok - Point of No Return (EP)

Moshers get your dirty, old concert shirts on, grit your teeth, and GET IN THE PIT!It's no secret I'm a thrash guy through and through. I love that balls out driving backbeat with its double bass drums rattling behind a thundering bass that sounds like a battalion of riders bursting from of the mouth of hell. It's metal at its rawest and most pure; angry, defiant, loud, with an energy that's barely contained.

Denver, Colorado's Havok may cause you to think they're another band doing that retro thing that's en vogue, but their music exudes an earnestness you can't deny. These guys are metal as fuck. And old school thrash fans should enjoy every bit of Havok's sound on their Point of No Return EP which gives a glimpse of things to come from this eager and brutal outfit from the mile high city.

And to think that I'm basing this on only two actual original songs from this 4 song EP; the latter two tracks are great covers of Sepultura's Arise and a melody of Slayer's Post Mortem and Raining Blood. But such is the apparent power of this band. Reece Scruggs and David Sanchez handle the guitar duties with ease, laying a nice crunchy topping over the solid backbeat of Jesse De Los Santos and Pete Webber's bass and drums, respectively. It's like a sonic, inside-out Snicker's bar. Wow, that's like the worst metaphor ever. I WIN (you lose)!

The Bottom Line: Thrash fans have a great new band to give them the call to the pit. So, throw on your boots, bang your head, and FUCKING MOSH!

Tracks to Make You Stage Dive Off Your Bed/Desk: All of them

- Genghis may be too old for the pit, but he'll stand on the outskirts...

Eddie: Greatest. Mascot. EVAR.

Seems like this would make a good topic for an upcoming tribute episode, but when you think of heavy metal and think of the mascots, who comes to mind first? Megadeth's Vic? Motörhead's Snaggletooth?

While those guys are totally cool, for me, it's always about Eddie the 'Ead, Iron Maiden's infamous ambassador and metal icon.

I came across this picture made up by artist Stan W. Decker who apparently had his own idea of who should be representing the true face of London for all of its Olympic pageantry:

- Genghis is jonesin' for some live Maiden action (just about two more weeks)...