Guitar Hero (4) World Tour (Wii)
I was very surprised when I got home on Friday to find that Rach had bought me the latest in the Guitar Hero series.
I have to admit I wasn’t planning on purchasing this until the new year but I was very excited by all the new shiny components. So on Friday evening we started on the career mode for our band JAM BADGER.
I got stuck into the drums while Rach stepped up and took on the task of singer. It was tricky to start with but we soon got the hang of it and tore our way through a good few gigs.
On Saturday Dok visited and we made some serious progress into the track listings. It is quite silly that you earn more cash from single player than group play, which meant that some solo parts had to be played before we could unlock the Tool gig.
I think one of the hardest tracks but also the most satisfying was System of a Down – B.Y.O.B.
Dok highlighted the fact there are potentially issues with the drum kits, he’s experienced this on his Xbox GH drum-kit where the green drum isn’t working at all now. He also highlighted the fact that Activision have admitted issue with the drum-kit and will be supplying drum tuning kits. The only issue with my drum-kit is that it can activate star power by accident, so not all bad just quite annoying.
But all in all I really enjoyed playing it, top stuff Rachy.
EDIT: it appears that Dok has resolved his issues with the drum-kit.
Birthday albums reviews
Seeing as it was my birthday today I thought I'd write up a quick review of both albums I recieved.
Dresden Dolls : No Virgina
This is the 3 studio album offering from the Bostons Amanda and Brian, although not it's not a completely new abum. It comprises of recording left over from the recording of Yes, Virgina, additional it contains b-sides and songs released on complalations.
All that said it's a damn fine offering including a few new tracks from the Punk Cabaret duo. Also on the album is a cover of Psychedelic Furs – Pretty in pink which is very different and also very good.
This album isn't really one to pick for anyone that wants to start listening to the band but for fans it's well worth getting.
Track listing:
1 Dear Jenny
2 Night Reconnaissance
3 The Mouse and the Model
4 Ultima Esperanza
5 The Gardener
6 Lonesome Organist Rapes Page Turner
7 Sorry Bunch
8 Pretty in Pink
9 The Kill
10 The Sheep Song
11 Boston
Cavalera Conspiracy : Inflikted
I hadn't heard that this album was out so it was quite a suprise when dok starting playing in his car asking me to guess the band. So he grabbed me a copy as my birthday present.
This debut album by the Cavalera brothers Max and Igor and was interestingly produced by Logan Mader. It was indicated as being similar to Sepultura's earlier work but with heavier undertones.
I've just spent the last couple of hours with it playing in the background and I have to admit it's bloody good. The whole album feels very new and raw but at the same time very familiar. This albums captures all that good about the brothers earlier work and takes up a lot of notches.
If you liked early Sepultura then seek out this album.
Track listing:
1 Inflikted
2 Sanctuary
3 Terrorize
4 Black Ark
5 Ultra-Violent
6 Hex
7 The Doom Of All Fires
8 Bloodbrawl
9 Nevertrust
10 Hearts Of Darkness
11 Must Kill
Annoyingly I just spotted that the band is going to be at Download and doing one show in London ont he 17th of this month. Too short notice sadly as I've like to have caught them live.
Ministry : C U Lator
Sunday June 1st – Carling Academy Bristol
I wasn't too fussed about going to the gig to start with but Dok convinced me and so on sunday we headed over the water to Bristol.
Happily we didn't get massively lost getting to the venue, which was nice.
After purchasing some band merchandise Dok took leave of his senses and bought us drinks from the bar. Now I understand that venues inflate the prices, but really the percentage of profits raked in at such events even if each person bought only 1 drink .
Anyway back to the gig.
We caught the last 3 songs of the support act named illuminatus, who seemed pretty good. From what I've seen there was a different support band on each gig of the tour.
At 8:30 Ministry took to a fenced off stage with a lowered area in front of Al's goat skull adorned mic stand. The band strolled on with Al looking like a metal version of Fagan, including a hat that appeared to have animal ear attached to it.
Getting right into the swing of things the first song was Let's Go followed up with The Dick Song.
The next 3 songs also from the last sucker album Watch Yourself, Life is Good and finally The Last Sucker.
After unleashing the last sucker tracks the focus changed to the “Houses of the Molé” playing the first 4 tracks in order: No W, Waiting, Worthless and finally Wrong.
Switching to yet another album the tracks came think and fast from Rio Grande Blood, starting with the title song Rio Grande Blood followed by Senor Peligro. LiesLiesLies one of my favourites from the album was next and this section of the gig was completed with the song Khyber Pass.
So after an hour I managed to mosh away to the last 3 albums, I really should have kept my energy as the next section was to be the most furious with a selection of tracks from the earlier albums.
Beginning with So What each following song upped the BPM and got the crowd moving. Then came N.W.O. the one alot of people had been holding back for, it was quickly followed up by Just One Fix. The last song in this section was the wonderful Thieves which was one of the first Ministry tracks I ever heard and one that encouraged my following for the band.
A poor number from the earlier albums but classic choices all the same.
The final part of the show comprised of covers, the first was Just Got Paid by ZZ Top which was fantastic and quite fitting as it was from the 'Rio Grande Mud' album that Ministry parodied with there 2006 album. The next two songs appear on the last Ministry album “Cover Up” starting with Roadhouse Blues originally by The Doors and to be honest this cover is fast, heavy and a great change to the original.
The last song to be played was Louis Armstrong's Wonderful World which starts in very deep mellow tones and builds up into a crescendo, bursting into a fast and frenzied 2nd half of the song.
Now there was a bit of talk both after the gig and about other shows that considering it was a farewell tour there was too much new material and less from the older albums. Admittedly the setlist wasn't the same as they played for the US leg of the tour but I feel that the post Paul Barker albums were more writing and performing with other musicians but all things considered it was still a rather fitting set for their goodbye.
Overall it was a great gig to attend and I'm rather glad I went.
Adios Ministry!
