The Dark Side of Oz...

The Wizard of Oz

Something happened to me about a month ago.  I have only recently been able to formulate this event into words... it was that mind-blowing.  You may have heard the rumors, or you may have done this yourself, but folks I am here to tell you that Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon synchronizes with The Wizard of Oz.  It's true...

I first heard about this phenomena from my friend and fellow blogger, Justin (who recently guested on this blog). I admit that I was completely skeptical.  I thought there was no way, without making a ton of really lenient excuses, that the two could ever work together.  I was wrong!!

In order for this to work, you have to start the album after the third (3rd) lion roar in the MGM opener.  Then, if you did it right, just sit back and watch.  Here are a few tips to know if you got it right:

You're in sync when the following happens:

Bicycle Entrance

• The bell section of the first track starts when the "witch" enters on her bicycle
• When Pink Floyd sings "balanced on the biggest wave" Dorothy is balancing on the fence post
• Dorothy falls at the Tin Man's feet when the heart beat sound starts the second time through the album
• "Money" plays while the cast gets spiffied up in Oz.

If you can't tell by the list, you are going to have to listen to the album more than once for this to work.  Like I said, I was skeptical the first time through, but the second and third time through Dark Side of the Moon was just enough to make my brain melt out of my ears.  This literally made me feel like I was on something, although I have never done any drugs in my life.  Every dance step was in time with the music. Almost every scene cut lined up with the timing of the songs, and of course the lyrics pretty much described what was happening on the screen if you allow some creativity.  For instance, while "Us and Them" is playing Dorothy is being introduced to the munchkins and sent off on the yellow brick road.

In total, the album plays 3 and a half; almost 4 times to finish the movie... but the fun doesn't end there!

Dorothy meets the Tin Man

If you happen to have a special edition copy of The Wizard of Oz, you are in luck, because the brain melting doesn't stop when the movie is over!  The "making of" special, hosted by Angela Lansbury, also (extremely strangely) syncs up with the album, if you continue to let it play through after the original movie.  If you have a DVD, make sure to pause the album so you don't miss out.  When Justin and I did this, we used a VHS copy.  By the end of the "making of" section both Justin and myself were on our knees with our heads in our hands wondering how this could be happening.  Justin had been through the movie experience before, but no one knew about the "after party" that was the special.  It was too much for our brains to take.

The Dark Side of the Moon cover

If you want to try this venture, good luck to you.  I will warn you all though, my mind stayed blown for 3 days after this.  Enjoy your trek in the "merry old land of Oz".

And Now... A Word From Our Sponsors

Well guys, sometimes you can't be everywhere, and other times you don't have the right words to say.  In this case, I don't have anything to say.  This post features a review of the recent Devil Wears Prada show at Croc Rock in Allentown, PA.  Ladies and gents... I give you Justin Tayvin

If you like his style you can find more of his thoughts on his own blog.  Click here.

What's happening my fellow rockers and metal heads and lovers of all things syncopated! I am bringing you the down-low straight from the mosh pit of the first show I have been to in a really long time! The lineup was stacked with Oh, Sleeper, Let Live, Every Time I Die all opening for The Devil Wears Prada.
Oh, Sleeper was first up and they never disappoint with their live show, the had a slight line up change since the last time I saw them with a new bassist and a new drummer. But these changes mad no difference in the technical soundness of Oh, Sleepers show. They shredded and did an awesome job of  getting the crowd fired up for the rest of the show, playing a few tracks from each album. Ending the set with one of their classic breakdowns, the stage was set for a high energy show.
Let Live was next up and though I am not a huge fan of their music, they did put on an emotionally charged performance. By this time the place was really starting to heat up, literally. The sweat was pouring off of the people on the floor and the pit was getting serious. Let Live's set ended with their frontman jumping off the stage grabbing the light rigging and proceeded to climb/walk on the crowd around the perimeter of the rigging all the way back to the stage. I must say it was awesome and we were all primed for Every Time I Die.
Now, I have always been a fan of ETID and have seen them live before. Their show is like one big wild, hardcore party. The place got nuts real fast as they opened up with their new single off of their newest album, which is a blistering track. They played all of their big hits and it was getting wild. I found myself in the pit raging hard and letting the music take over. It was UNBEARABLY HOT and I ended up ripping my shirt off during the song Werewolves and swinging it wildly around my head. Every one fully enjoyed the ETID set, it was relentless, with no stoppage in the action! Never a dull moment with ETID. Bodies flying, both members of the band and the crowd were body surfing and the crowd was moshing and singing with all they had! I was so friggin' hot in the venue but the greatest thing about Croc Rock is the fact that they have 2 huge garage type doors that open up to the outside to relieve the heat and let in fresh air and a loud cheer rose from the crowd as the doors rose.  I have to admit, I was pretty spent after their set and I knew I was going to have to find a second wind for TDWP.
And find a second wind I did. After what seemed to be way too long of a set change, TDWP came out and opened up their set with 3 straight songs from their latest album, Dead Throne. Strobes popping and lights flashing and their lighted upside-down triangle trinity symbol added to the atmosphere. I was totally recharged and ready to throw down. TDWP has matured so much since the first time I saw them at Purple Door, like, 5 years ago and they sounded great. They continued to batter us with heavy jams only to show mercy for a brief moment when their front man, Mike, grabbed a guitar to everyones surprise and they marched through an instrumental piece. After that it was on like Donkey Kong and things only got heavier as the set moved on. I thought they did an excellent job at diversifying the set with songs from almost all of their albums. At some point close to the end of the set a guy got knocked out cold as the ferocity of the pit reached its' highest levels. As TDWP finished up the crowd chanted and called for an encore. TDWP obliged and came back to play to more songs. The set wrapped up an everyone began to file out tired, sweaty, neck sore from head-banging and hoarse and we all had smiles on our faces.
For me this was the first hardcore show I have been to in a while and I couldn't have asked for a better way to get back in the scene. To sum it all up, totally awesome, brutal, and such a great display of the brotherhood of hard music and the young talented artist of todays hard music scene. I absolutely cannot wait for the next show, which might just be For Today and MyChildren MyBride...
Anyway, thanks for reading, a huge thanks to my boy Joe for letting me guest write for his blog.
Maybe I will see you in the Pit.
Live Free
~J

All shots used in this post were taken during the Devil Wears Prada set by Justin.

Metal Mania!!!

Ladies and gentlemen... I present to you, Metal!

In this post we have Christian Metal, American Metal, and even what some may call "pseudo-metal".  Okay, I may have made that last one up, but you will see what I mean shortly.

To start off, let's talk about Christian Metal, and by that I mean Impending Doom, and MyChildren MyBride, specifically.

Baptized in Filth album cover

Impending Doom has released a new album in the last few months.  I know this may not sound like a big deal to the average person, but for those who are fans of the band, or of hardcore metal in general, the release has been highly anticipated.  It has been two years since the band released their last full-length album entitled There Will Be Violence. The band has now released Baptized in Filth in March, and it is every bit of the face-melting, awesomeness that fans have come to expect from the guys.

Whereas I do appreciate the raw aggression that their music has, and the adrenaline-fueled need to destroy things as I listen to it, I also realize that the band is lyrically astounding.  You may be thinking "There are lyrics?"  Yes, yes there is!  In fact, they are quite deep, and extremely theological in nature.  These guys definitely know their Bible...and make it rock!

Speaking of bands that tear your throat out...MyChildren MyBride have been on a rampage since 2008's release of Unbreakable. The group tour's almost non-stop, and the release of their latest self-titled album already has them on the road.  In fact, they are coming to the Philly area on April 14.  The show will feature the band and guests For Today.  Pop Deflator's is working on covering the show, so keep an eye out, you may see one of us there.

What about the secular realm of Metal?  What's going on there?  I'm glad you asked (even though you really didn't).

Self-Titled Album Cover

Of Mice & Men also has a tantalizing offer your sonic pleasures.  The band released their current effort The Flood in 2011, but I just got the chance to listen to it recently.  I never admitted to being on top of things...get off me.

People who are familiar with the band already know that the band was founded by Austin Carlile, of Attack! Attack!  Thus, the band's sound remains in that vein of clean vocals and style, but add a punishing brutality to the sound-palette.

On to that "pseudo-metal: comment that I talked about.  I know I have spoken highly of Five Finger Death Punch in the past.  Unfortunately, I have to express how disappointed I am in the band's current single "I Remember Everything".  This song does not sound like 5FDP at all!  It sounds more like Nickelback, or early 90's Staind, where every song was about "daddy issues".

There are many more bands that I could talk about, but unfortunately I don't want to write that much, and I'm sure you are tired of reading by now.  So in that state of mind... be sure to check out Like Moths to Flames, Fit for A King, and Memphis May Fire.

Mediocrity vs. Greatness

Let me start this off by saying how incredibly sorry I am that I haven't posted anything in two months.  I apologize to my readers for making you wait for new material, but trust me when I say that I have tons!!  So much in fact, that I really can't cover it in one post.

So this post is going to cover the basics....

Two different album covers. Same great music.

My friend, and partner-in-crime, Ash Starkweather, of Pop Deflators, sent me a link to stream Less Than Jake's new EP entitled Seasons Greetings.  It's been about 4 years since anyone has heard anything recorded from these guys, and their last major-label album release is 2006 didn't strike me as their best effort, just being honest.  Seasons Greetings, for me anyway, is a return to the Less Than Jake that I know and love.

Readers of my blog know that I grew up on punk rock and ska style music.  That said, it's FANTASTIC to hear horns return to Less Than Jake's sound. Granted the return of the ska-styled sound came in 2008 with their return to indie labels and release of GNV FLA, but I missed out on that one. Most of the EP features the signature LTJ sound that fans have come to know and love. The tempo is up and very ska-like throughout a lot of the album.  However, the band is sure to leave room for a half-tempo chorus or two where it's needed. Welcome back boys, many happy returns!!

Check it out for yourself by clicking here.

So now it's time to have some good old-fashioned fun.  Let's take apart the band Halestorm, shall we?

Halestorm is what I would call a chick-rock version of Motley Crue... at first glance.  The first song I heard by the band, "Loves Bites (So Do I)", gave me this impression.  Unfortunately, the group didn't live up to the precedent they set with that song.  The rest of the what I heard on the band's website, www.halestormrocks.com, left me sad and expecting more.  There's a lot of slow melodic songs featured on the site, which seems to speak against the aggressive style set forth by the "Love Bites" song.  Honestly, "Love Bites" (in my opinion) in the only really good song the group has.

Halestorm

Again, let me say that I am generally a fan of chick-rock. I listen to Fireflight, Flyleaf, Evanescence, and similar bands of that sort.  So when I heard about Halestorm, I was optimistic, but sadly let down in the end.  Obviously, someone thinks better of them than I do, because the group is signed with Atlantic Records.

There's much more to come... Stay tuned (especially if you love Metal).