Quick thoughts: Bambino and recent HMV purchases
I'm too lazy to write a full review of Bambino! right now. So: The drama had well-developed and endearing characters, good acting, and a passable but ultimately unmemorable story. Matsumoto Jun fangirls (or boys) will absolutely adore it, but for everyone else, it's quite watchable for the characters but won't have much of an impact once the narrative is over.
I bought stuff at HMV for the first time in a long time recently, and bought two CDs and a DVD set. The DVDs were South Park Season One. I've been saying for a long time that I would one day end up starting to collect them, and, well, I guess Tuesday was that day. No wonder parents were in an uproar. I mean, I was only 10 when this stuff started airing (although I wouldn't end up seeing it until maybe 3 years after, in Washington away from my folks, and then regularly a couple more years after that). I admire the resolve of whatever executive gave the okay for putting this show on the air. Ten years later, the first season is as provocative, offensive, clever and hilarious as ever.
The two CDs were Behemoth's new CD, The Apostasy, and The Funeral Pyre's new CD, The Nature of Betrayal. I've listened to The Apostasy quite a few times, and I'm still not sure how I would rank it compared to their last album, Demigod - one of my favourite albums when I first really began my journey into the metal underground. On The Apostasy, Behemoth have shed just about all of their black metal tendancies, fully shifting to death metal. This album feels more accessible than their last, trading a bit of brutality for catchiness. While Demigod took a few listens to really appreciate, this album was much more immediate. A very solid album, definitely recommended to fans of the band or of modern death metal.
I haven't listened to The Nature of Betrayal enough to really judge it yet, but it seems very promising so far. I'd never heard of the band before, but bought the album based on strong reviews. The Funeral Pyre play "blackened melodic death metal", and they play it awfully well, too. I became sort of burned out on melodic death metal bands after listening to so many such albums in the past couple years, but this one has really grabbed and held my attention.
I bought stuff at HMV for the first time in a long time recently, and bought two CDs and a DVD set. The DVDs were South Park Season One. I've been saying for a long time that I would one day end up starting to collect them, and, well, I guess Tuesday was that day. No wonder parents were in an uproar. I mean, I was only 10 when this stuff started airing (although I wouldn't end up seeing it until maybe 3 years after, in Washington away from my folks, and then regularly a couple more years after that). I admire the resolve of whatever executive gave the okay for putting this show on the air. Ten years later, the first season is as provocative, offensive, clever and hilarious as ever.
The two CDs were Behemoth's new CD, The Apostasy, and The Funeral Pyre's new CD, The Nature of Betrayal. I've listened to The Apostasy quite a few times, and I'm still not sure how I would rank it compared to their last album, Demigod - one of my favourite albums when I first really began my journey into the metal underground. On The Apostasy, Behemoth have shed just about all of their black metal tendancies, fully shifting to death metal. This album feels more accessible than their last, trading a bit of brutality for catchiness. While Demigod took a few listens to really appreciate, this album was much more immediate. A very solid album, definitely recommended to fans of the band or of modern death metal.
I haven't listened to The Nature of Betrayal enough to really judge it yet, but it seems very promising so far. I'd never heard of the band before, but bought the album based on strong reviews. The Funeral Pyre play "blackened melodic death metal", and they play it awfully well, too. I became sort of burned out on melodic death metal bands after listening to so many such albums in the past couple years, but this one has really grabbed and held my attention.