Archive for May, 2013

Concrete Cross – LP

Alright so I just got this LP from Concrete Cross’ drummer, Tone, the other day after some heckling the last I saw him. I don’t even know if the shit is out in the streets yet, or what label it’s supposed to be on. I mean I think it’s a European one maybe, but I can’t even be sure. All I know for sure is that the fragments of 15 year old self that still exist within me are trying to break free right now. Something about the debut from these miscreants has awaken the want to go fast, break stuff, go faster, spit on things, throw heavy shit off things, and pick a fight with an animal that i’ll lose.

All throughout this record energy forces itself upon me and hardly lets up. There are a few moments where the speed is slowed down slightly, but don’t get me wrong… it’s still about 25 miles above the speed limit. Like the rerecorded “Cannibal Brain” for example . This is a mid paced monster that feeds the need to circle pit like no one’s watching. Another standout is the closer track “On Ice” which is as far outside the standard CC writing procedure as the record gets. Its closing riffs are like the rolling credits on some sort of black and white Italian epic.

“Sculpt The Ruins” is a perfect example of what you turn to a band  like Concrete Cross for – blistering speeds, speedy leads, and rapid fire ramblings of a madman vocalist. As mentioned before this kind of track is the type you want to do nothing but skate or ride too while rentacops chase you from your choice destination. Pure energetic headbang. And there in lies the problem for these guys. Too often are they paired up on the wrong bills with the wrong bands. I feel like their selected crowd in New York is never right for them, so they’re met with lackluster response. If they were to play to the crusty kids, or flipped brim skate punks they would be covered in more sweat then their own when they reach the end of their set list.

Anyway, if you have adrenaline and ears then this record is definitely a must have. Also the guy singing sang in bands on Wreck-Age in the 90s and the drummer plays in another band with Paul Bearer – does that give you reason enough?

The Darkest Hour (2011)

The Darkest Hour 2011Darkest-Hour-2011-Movie-Russian-Poster
Director: Chris Gorak
Notable Appearances: Emile Hirsch, Olivia Thirlby, Max Minghella, Rachael Taylor
Genre: Horror, Science Fiction

This movie blows. Before we get to “the why”, let’s start with “the what” (ft. Method Man). The Darkest Hour has the COOL AS SHIT concept of an invasion by invisible aliens made of energy who plow ass through the human race like a fat kid in a candy store. Unfortunately, that is the extent of the plot and worthwhile aspects of this flick. Emile Hirsch and Max Minghella play two douchie software designers who have no worthwhile skills from their career when suddenly faced with monsters from outer space. One would think that energy-based beings would be susceptible to some sort of app that tells you how many times you jerked off in the past month. Olivia Thirlby and Rachael Taylor play two females with no backstory, no character traits, no survival skills, and plenty of good looks. Basically, every douchie software designer’s wet dream. I wish I could describe for you the rest of the plot and characters here, but they don’t exist. Granted, sick lowbrow jams oftentimes come birthed from such minuscule amounts of writing, and I kind of expected this experience, but baby, I was wrong.

Straight up and down, this is one of the worst flicks I’ve seen in a while. The opening ten-to-fifteen minutes is trash; watching these two bad stereotypes of tech-savvy frat boys on their quest for babes and billions is much akin to bad porn before the clothes come off. Throughout the remaining 70 minutes, there are no directing or cinematography choices of merit and the action entails the same experience of hiding from aliens, running from aliens, and someone dying from aliens. Only later in the film, when the crew meets some random extras from The Road Warrior, do real conflicts with aliens occur and we are treated to the lamest explanation of the enemies, ever. SPOILER ALE… fuck it, who cares? The aliens aren’t energy-based creature, they just have force fields that can be disrupted with microwaves. Also, throwing pieces of another wounded alien at them will kill them? Random gaps in logic like that are all over this movie, but without the fun of camp or knowing winks at buffoonery.

There was an idea somewhere in all of this… a good idea… invisible aliens made of energy… why not explore the notion of intangible enemies and how to fight them by manipulating wave-fields? Why not make this a cavalcade of clever ways for these completely foreign beings to wreak havoc and the heroes to outwit them with the skills they possess from their normal lives? Why not just get Bruce Campbell to show up and say funny shit? Nah, let’s just awkwardly wedge Emile Hirsch into the first screenplay someone throws at us.  Not worth your time, even ironically.  One star.