50 Cent- Before I Self Destruct review, 7.5/10

The Invasion: 6.5/10 Your standard intro track. 50 comes out energetic but without a lot of interesting rhymes it doesn’t really resonate with me. 

Then Days Went By: 9.5/10 Great song. Lyrics are a lot more memorable, the funniest being about being 12 and having sex with a 20 year old. He doesn’t care that it’s technically rape, because it was so cool. Not gonna lie. That’s the exact same interpretation I’d have if I hooked up with a 20 year old. The beat is great too. The organ and background vocals are perfect.

Death To My Enemies: 9/10 This is a Dre beat, and it definitely shows it. 50 goes hard, claiming that this CD isn’t “Tha Carter”. Anything anti-Wayne I’m all for, because he’s played out. There isn’t a whole lot to this track, but it’s great for what it is.

So Disrespectful: 7/10 Ah 50 and your fightin’ ways. This is his anti-Game/Young Buck track among others… It’s not bad, but I actually like Piggy Bank off Tha Massacre more for some reason (wow, I never thought I’d say that).  Woulda given this an 8 if it wasn’t  referencing Young Buck doing more syrup than Pimp C. This is because Pimp C had more talent in his pinkie than 50 Cent has in his entire body.

Psycho: 9/10 50 changes up his flow on this track, which makes you wonder if Em wrote his verses. Both go hard on the track, and Em especially shines (what’s new?). Anytime you mention beating the Octomom with a Cabbage Patch kid you have my vote. Way to go Em. Topical and funny.

Hold Me Down: 4/10 Someone tell Scott Storch to stop doing coke. This beat is strangely bad, and really shows how far Scott Storch has fallen off. 50 Cent’s raps are tired and pointless. So far, it’s the worst song on the album. He must have put this on the album to do Scott Storch a favor. Trust me, he did not do him any favors by allowing millions to hear this track.

Crime Wave: 6.5/10 Another swagger track about guns, how itchy trigger fingers are and how much bullets burn. I don’t discount 50 Cents credibility on the knowledge of how getting shot feels, but I don’t need to hear about it a bunch of times. When did it become cool to get shot a bunch of times? 

Stretch: 9/10 Sha Money XL’s beat is pretty good. Song about selling drugs, but it’s pretty interesting.  I don’t know why I like this track, but it’s strangely hypnotic. “Streeeetch”…”Kurt Cocaine.” I don’t know if it’s clever but I like it. Haha.

Strong Enough: 7/10 Soulful beat. More lyrics about guns and how hardcore he is. Transitions into how much money he has. Then he disses his old crew. It kinda goes all over the place, but the lyrics are better and work well with the beat. 

Get It Hot: 5/10 Not really feeling this track. The beat by Nottz is kinda cool, but it doesn’t work all that great with 50. It clocks in at 2:59 and it feels long. That’s not a good sign. Nottz gonna listen to this song again…

Gangsta’s Delight: 9.5/10 Haha, this song is great. Remix the lyrics from Rapper’s Delight with a Dre beat. 50 has got some balls to redo a classic like this. Somehow, it works. The beat is grimey. I love the piano in the background.  The lyrics work. 50’s flow is perfect. So far, my favorite song on the album.

I Got Swag: 5/10 Did you know 50 Cent has a lot of money, as well as swagger? Me neither! Thank God he cleared it up on this track. Throwaway.

Baby By Me: 8.5/10 Ok, I get it. That’s kinda clever: “Have a baby by me baby, be a millionaire” Throw a Ne-Yo hook on it, and it’s a hit, right? Sorta. It’s overproduced by Polow da Don, but overall I think girls will like it. It’s likable for a chick track. After 12 songs about shooting people and selling drugs, it’s a nice break. 

Do You Think About Me: 7/10 Another girl track but it’s more laid back. It’s not as catchy, but not terrible. I feel like they should have put it somewhere else on the CD to break up the two softer songs.

Ok, You’re Right: 7/10 The only previously released song that actually made the CD. It’s pretty good, but I don’t really like the chorus that much. I actually liked the song “Get Up” more, and am kinda surprised it didn’t make the CD. 

Could’ve Been You: 7/10 Weird song but it flows well. R. Kelly is singing about smelling shit. 50 Cent does alright on the track, but it’s strange to have as a closing song. 

Overall: 7.5/10 (Don’t know if my math worked out on that at all) 

Final impression is that it’s better than Curtis, but the subject matter was too focused on guns and drugs. There were too many generic songs that had no clear message. Half of them were just excuses to rap about killing people with a different chorus for each song. If he would have taken a few of those tracks off and had a few tracks that told a story or had different subject matter, the CD would have been great.

First “Watchmen” Review!

http://nerdworld.blogs.time.com/2009/02/16/my-own-private-watchmen/

The guys over at Time magazine got a sneak peek at the new “Watchmen” movie, and shared their initial reaction, minus big details. Since there is an embargo on reviews until March 6th, this is all they could muster. I can’t wait to see this movie and think it will be amazing. I just read the graphic novel for the first time a month ago and thought it was fantastic. It looks like Zack Snyder got most of the elements right, and it should be one of the better comic to film adaptations. Enjoy!

Metallica- “The End of the Line” review, 9/10

I never I thought I’d say this, but parts of this song remind of Rage Against The Machine. There are a couple riffs that sound like they could have easily come off of Evil Empire or Battle For Los Angeles. And that’s a good thing, by the way. It’s getting pretty redundant reviewing every track, because I have nothing but good things to say about them. They all thrash, have great choruses, and are catchy as hell. What more can you ask for? “The End of the Line” is no exception.

9/10

Metallica- “The Unforgiven III” review, 9/10

This was the one song on Death Magnetic I was worried about, mainly because I thought it would be a rehash of the past two versions. Turns out that it isn’t at all, and the song is pretty amazing. It starts out similar to their concert intro, “Ecstacy of Gold”, off of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. It builds for a minute or two, before the song starts going. James Hetfield sounds great on the track, as does everybody else.

Once the 5 and a half minute mark hits, Hammett unleashes a great solo. All 7 and a half minutes of the song work well, and although it isn’t as great as the original “The Unforgiven”, it is better than “The Unforgiven II”

9/10

Metallica- “My Apocalypse” review, 8.5/10

“My Apocalypse” is the third song to be released off of Death Magnetic, and it is a dousy. It is the fastest and most brutal of the three, but it’s not the best. It reminds me of “Dyers Eve” and “Battery”, but more raw and less memorable. That’s not to say that it is bad, because it isn’t. Far from it. Like “The Day That Never Comes”, it lacks a certain cohesion, and is all over the place.

The problem with me is that I just like hearing Metallica rock out for 5 minutes, so the lack of cohesion isn’t that big of a deal to my bleeding ears. It doesn’t have a discernable chorus, but the song moves at such a break neck speed that stopping for a chorus seems like a bad idea.

Overall, I think this song is the worst of the three, but it still kicks ass. When I buy this cd I might use this song to wake up to. Since it is named “My Apocalypse”, it sets a great tone for starting the day.

8.5/10

Metallica- “Cyanide” review, 10/10

Ok, so I’ve officially become obsessed with the new Metallica cd, Death Magnetic. “My Apocalypse” came out today, and as far as I’m concerned, they are 3 for 3. “Cyanide” is my favorite out of the three, but they’re all good. The thing I like about “Cyanide” is that it has the most coherent song structure, and has all the elements that make Metallica great. Hammett’s riffs are sinister as hell, Trujillo’s bass helps the song groove, Hetfield’s vocal inflection is perfect, and Ulrich is competent…as always.

It’s pretty sad that Trujillo has only been with the band a few years, and his presence is already felt more than anytime Jason Newsted played for them. That’s not to say he was bad, he just didn’t have a lot to do. Trujillo’s bouncing groove that starts off the song is great, and it continues throughout, giving the song more depth.

The driving riff throughout the song is menacing, and is the perfect complement to both the lyrics and Hetfield’s voice. The chorus works perfectly in this song, to the point where I think this song will be the best on the album.

I don’t really know what else to say about the song, except that I recommend listening to it about 50 times. I have yet to get tired of it, and I’ve probably doubled that amount.

10/10

Lupe Fiasco: The Cool Review 9/10

Lupe Fiasco has had a very interesting career. His first album, Lupe Fiasco’s Food and Liquor, was leaked so far in advance, that by the time it was released, the demand had pretty much died out. It lead to poor album sales and his overall disdain for prepping his second album. Food and Liquor was absolutely amazing, and The Cool is no different. It features a wide variety of vivid imagery, coupled with solid production and minimal guest appearances.

The album starts out with his sister reading street poetry, and quickly moves into another interlude honoring Lupe’s incarcerated manager. After those two, the albums first track, “Go Go Gadget Flow” explodes out the gates. It is a great starting point for the album, and shows Lupe’s ability to rap fast while still using lyrics that aren’t watered down. The album continues with great songs like “The Coolest” and his hit single “Superstar”. Although this album has a concept, it isn’t really fleshed out like it was in the song “The Cool” off of his last album. Lupe instead weaves shorter storylines throughout the album without a strong cohesive element. Tracks like “Hi-Definition” disappoint, because they seem out of place on this album.

Aside from the mediocre “Hi-Definition” and the predictable and self aware “Dumb it Down”, the album is laced with pure fire. Lupe has always been a great lyricist, and his sophomore album paints an amazing picture of life on the streets and the struggle to get by.

I highly recommend this cd for anyone looking for music that not only sounds amazing, but has a message behind it as well. Lupe Fiasco is 2 for 2, and will hopefully continue to make fantastic music in a genre that seems to be getting worse by the minute.

9/10

The Mars Volta: The Bedlam in Goliath Review: 9/10

I have been listening to The Bedlam in Goliath nonstop for the past couple weeks. It is one of those cds that is so unique, that even though I’ve listened to it 20 or 30 times, I find something new to like after each listen. This also might be the cd that recaptures people that were put off by Frances The Mute and Amputechture. The songs are much more accessible this time around, with more of a rock element than their previous two releases.

I first got into The Mars Volta after hearing “The Widow” off of Frances the Mute, and I thought that song was great. I never listened to any of their music after that other than on the radio, and decided to buy The Bedlam in Goliath after listening to the samples on iTunes. Man am I glad I did. The best songs are “Goliath”, “Metatron”, “Ilyene”, “Wax Simulacra”, “Ouroborous”, and “Conjugal Burns”. Really though, there isn’t one bad song on this album.

I recommend this to anyone who is a fan of bands that like to push music in unique ways. All these guys are fantastic musicians, and although they don’t have the most accessible song structure, their creativity is so strong on each song that it just makes for a truly enjoyable listening experience.

This album was my introduction to The Mars Volta, and I have since bought their previous 3 full length LPs. Although I’ve heard their singles before, they don’t really show the complexity and talent this band exhibits. Sure their music can be self indulgent at times, but it doesn’t matter when 90% of it is absolutely mesmerizing. This CD is slightly behind De-Loused In The Comatorium, as my favorite The Mars Volta CD. Pick it up if you are interested in a band that plays music unlike anything you’ve heard before.

9/10

Rise Against: The Sufferer and the Witness Review 4.8/5

Rise Against’s latest CD, “The Sufferer and the Witness”, which came out in July 2006, is their best CD to date. There is not one filler track on this album aside from The Approaching Curve. It shows growth both musically and lyrically, and is just plain fun to listen to. Here’s a track breakdown:

1. Chamber the Cartridge: 4.8/5 Starts out with a bang. Perfect opener for the greatness that ensues. Not as good as State of the Union but still a fantastic song. Meaty, raw, and surprisingly fluid.

2. Injection: 4.9/5 This is a song that will definitely grow on you with subsequent listens. The lyrics are fantastic, focusing on addiction (obviously).

3. Ready to Fall: 4.7/5 Their first single. I wasn’t too into it at first but after about 50 listens it definitely grew on me. Really heavy.

4. Bricks: 4.7/5 1:33 of raw freaking power. Reminds me of the Rise Against from “The Unraveling” days.

5. Under the Knife: 4.5/5 Another great song. Nothing that stands out too much, just a fantastic song throughout.

6. Prayer of the Refugee: 5/5 The song is so damn catchy it is scary. It starts out kind of lazily and then breaks into the chorus, which just obliterates the softness right before it. The vocal harmonizing during the last 20 seconds is amazing. It was released as a single and seems to be doing well on MTV2.

7. Drones: 4.8/5 Starts out with a great beat and a fatty bass line. Again, the chorus just kills on this track. It is a perfect song for their concert. Great throughout.

8. The Approaching Curve: 3.5/5 This is the only song that really doesn’t work on the CD. The lyrics are completely spoken except for the chorus. They seem forced and too melodramatic, like something you’d read in the first three paragraphs of a romance novel. The chorus is fantastic but it cant save the song.

9. Worth Dying For: 5/5 This is my personal favorite and just an awesome song. It feels epic even though it is only three and a half minutes. The song structure is perfect and the music is infectious.

10. Behind Closed Doors: 4.3/5 Another consistantly catchy song. Nothing stands out too much but again, it is solid throughout.

11. Roadside: 4.1/5 Some RA fans might be turned off by this song, but I actually like it. I guess it’s the Swing Life Away of the album. Although it is one of the worst tracks on the CD, it is still worth listening to.

12. The Good Left Undone: 4.9/5 Catchy catchy bo betchy, banana fana fo fetchy.

13. Survive: 4.8/5 Great closer. Epic in scope and a nice way to close it out.

This CD has been in regular rotation on my iPod since I bought it over a year ago. Every song is in the Top 100 songs played on my iPod, because they are THAT catchy. Even though Rise Against has gained more popularity, I don’t think they will ever abandon their roots. This CD is arguably their heaviest to date, even though it has more accessible songs. It’s hard to dislike a band that can approach that boundary without ostracizing it’s core fanbase.

Note: If you ever get a chance to see them live, I highly recommend it. I’ve seen them twice, the latest just a couple months ago, and they were great.

Avenged Sevenfold: Avenged Sevenfold review 4.5/5

Avenged Sevenfold has always been very hit or miss. Their first cd had about 2 or 3 great songs, and the rest bordered on mediocre to downright awful. Their next cd, Waking The Fallen, was brilliant. Every track was unique and showed their growth in song writing and musicality. Then came City of Evil, their mixed bag of metal/hard rock androgeny. Not only did it offer some great songs like “Bat Country” and “Beast and the Harlot”, but it also offered a sappy love ballad called “Seize The Day”. Now comes their self titled CD, which is a great step forward for the band. After City of Evil came out, I was worried that there would soon be a downward spiral into mediocrity and self parody. Instead, their 4th cd delivers the goods. Here is a track breakdown for the iTunes crowd that might only want to buy a song or two:

Critical Acclaim: 4.5/5 Their first single, which ironically didn’t receive critical acclaim, is actually pretty good. It is an ode to the troops, and although the rants throughout the song are annoying, the song is so good that it makes up for it. It’s no “Bat Country”, but it is still a great song.

Almost Easy: 4.75/5 Any singer that sings lyrics “I’m Not Insane” like a possessed James Hetfield has something going for him. This is their second single, and it is lighting up the charts. It’s fairly catchy and accessible for the casual hard rock/metal fan.

Scream: 4.5/5 No wonder they released the cd right before Halloween. This track is kind of silly, but it has a driving groove and is just a good all around metal song.

Afterlife: 4.6/5 This song would have been a 5 if it weren’t for the uninspired chorus. The rest of the song is great, but the chorus just doesn’t work.

Gunslinger: 4.75/5 The first minute and a half are straight country, with slide guitar and everything. Then M. Shadows realizes he is in a metal song, and unleashes hell. The song is great, and the intro fits in perfectly with the rest of the song.

Unbound (The Wild Ride): 5/5 I love this track. It sounds like it would be playing in the background during a chase scene in a movie. The continual 16th note piano works perfectly with the drum beat as they flow into the chorus. It’s a very aggressive song and usually makes me drive at least 10 mph faster when I’m in my car.

Brompton Cocktail: 4.75/5 Another very heavy track that is just straight forward metal. I have nothing bad to say about it.

Lost: 4.5/5 T-Pain? Peter Frampton? M. Shadows? This song is great, and then it goes all T-Pain on us. I actually have nothing against it, but I could see how others might. I like the effect and think it works well with the song.

A Little Piece Of Heaven: 5/5 It seems that Avenged Sevenfold is channeling their inner Mr. Bungle/Danny Elfman/Panic! At The Disco on this track. I freaking love it. The track is their Bohemian Rhapsody, and it has the symphony to prove it. The song switches tempos and styles every 20 seconds, and somehow it works perfectly. My favorite track on the album by far.

Dear God: 4.3/5 This is their countryish song that has many up in arms, but I actually don’t mind it. The song is well-written and flows nicely. It is a good closer to the album.

Overall: 4.5/5 This CD is great. It is what City of Evil should have been. Their song writing improved and the whole cd flows well together. Although it isn’t as good as Waking The Fallen, it is still much better than most metal out right now.