The wait is over...Chinese democracy for all fans

Hooray!!!! Guns N’ Roses is finally out with the new album Chinese Democracy!!!
The album was bittersweet for me, though my review is far more forgiving than the other critics I have read.
Here’s a song by song review

1: Chinese Democracy 4:43
The song has some silences in the start, I don’t know why Axl put that part. Then comes the killer riff. That really captures the moment of the song. Then you hear Axl on double vocals, one gruff, new voice and the other old scream of yesteryears. I love the song for its rough, rawness and for Axl’s voice. Definitely one of the best on the album. Lovely solo to go with it. Enjoyed the song very much.
Verdict: 9 ½ /10

2: Shackler’s Revenge 3:36
Scary man! The song starts so uncannily. It has some kind of a dirty death metal sound to it that progresses into a mash up of dance music and rock n’ roll. Weird song in the album. I liked the chorus lines though. Then I don’t know what hit me like a rod in the face. Some kind of avant-garde metal I suppose. The sound is unbelievably alien, like a new genre in itself. It kinda shook me up though.
Verdict: 7/10

3: Better 4:58
This is so-not-GnR. This sounded like boy band music at first. Then some of the hard-rocking came a few seconds later to calm me down a bit. Axl’s voice is nice on this track. The solo is again avant-garde Bumblefoot/Buckethead work. Axl is screaming a LOT on this song as it moves on. The pattern of the song is vivid and little hard to follow. Lots of riffs in between. Second solo at 3m 48s is more melodic work. Okay song, I like it enough.
Verdict: 8/10

4: Street Of Dreams 4:46
Wow. This sounds JUST like the melodies of the 80’s. Axl’s second baritone voice is a feature of this song coupled with his trademark scowls and screams. The song is very much solid in form and not vague as Shackler’s Revenge was. The vocals are simply beautiful. The solo looks like it’s taken from some other band itself. Extremely diverse in its music. Lovely orchestral music goes on in the background. The song is like a happy memory, a flashback into the times the band was at its peak. Atleast that’s what it reminds me of.
Verdict: 9/10

5: If The World 4:54
Huh?!? The music sounded like an Arabic song. Then comes a wah-wah lick in the background with another of Axl’s good vocals. Man, this guy has experimented with things like crazy. The song has very good lyrics. Heard this comes in the credits of Body Of Lies. My next priority. I liked the song quite a lot.
Verdict: 9/10

6: There Was A Time 6:41
You can hear a flurry of noises in the music as it starts, courtesy our passionate frontman! The song has a charm to it, and then the chorus sounded a bit flat. The verses sound better with some sort of narrative lyrics and the Illusion-era style pianos. Maybe it was all this experimental work that scared away the rest of the band members away along with his erratic behaviour. The solo is good, which is very consistently being churned out. But the problem with the song is in its repetitiveness. Okey-dokey, not very good for me. Sounds a bit borrowed from November Rain and a tad too long for it cannot hold your attention for much time.
Verdict: 8/10

7: Catcher In The Rye 5:53
This sounded so much like the Carpenters’ music!! It has a dose of Bon Jovi style to it. I don’t know why, but since the songs don’t have a classic GnR style, I keep referencing other people’s music. Only as a guideline to the sound style, not that it’s a rip-off. The song is nice and there is some wacky piano when he’s singing that sounds like a cat is running on the keys. Has more momentum than There Was A Time. I don’t know why but Axl is sounding good on every track, even if the instrumentals go to hell. Very selfish of him. But who cares, he’s doing a good job as of now.
Verdict: 8 ½ /10

8: Scraped 3:30
WTF? Axl starts singing by screaming. Somewhat punk and radical. Now this song is sounding like Red Hot Chili Peppers. What the hell man, too many cooks can spoil the broth. Again, a good solo with heavy use of effects. The song isn’t up to the mark for me really. It’s just overprocessed bullshit and the weakest track.
Verdict: 7/10

9: Riad N' The Bedouins 4:10
Another of the experimentals. I think Axl has a hangover from Scraped with the tune he’s screaming to. What rubbish man, there’s absolutely no sense or order in the song. HAPHAZARD!!! I had to forward the song a little to escape the aaahs and aaahs. Damn, major letdown. All I heard was noise.
Verdict: 7 ½ /10

10: Sorry 6:14
I expect a lot from the song. This turns out to be very indulgent. All deep inside Axl. He sounds nice, okay, but where are the hardcore riffs??? Sebastian Bach is supposed to have contributed on this song, but is nowhere to be found due to Axl’s edits. Then the heavy stuff comes at 2 minutes like a kind of trumpet-guitar mashup monster sound. The song is sounding okay to me, a B grade soul-crooning track. But some experimentalism should stop and give way for straight headed hard rock GnR is famous for. They’ll lose their already reduced fan base if they don’t deliver.
Verdict: 8/10

11: I.R.S. 4:28
This song has the true hardcore roots of GnR. Thank god. But Axl is dropping into his indulgent self once in while here too. The guitars are overpowered by his voice. There aren’t much catchy lines, music or riffs for that matter. If his crowds can’t chant the song along with him, or cover bands can’t play the stuff, the song is forgotten. That shouldn’t happen with this track. It has a very well made guitar solo and riff in its end.
Verdict: 8 ½ /10

12: Madagascar 5:38
This song has a very nice feel to it. I liked it very much. Something about it caught my attention, it was the epic scale on which it has been executed. The song is very much impressive in my view. I liked the song as everyone’s part is prominently featured in it. No overpowering vocals or loud riffs. The synth, the drums (almost forgotten) all get a chance. Then there is a bit where he has put in clips of Martin Luther King and the sample from Civil War “what we have here is failure to communicate.”
Verdict: 9/10. This deserves it.

13: This I Love 5:34
Axl is soul crooning yet again. I don’t know what to say, the pianos are great. But I’m tired of just listening to Axl. We need equal importance to be given to the guitars, drums and BASS! I just can’t hear their general Tommy Stinson as yet!! The solo is good here, by the way, genuine, authentic. Drums are much better defined here than most other songs. But what is this song all about? That remains an unsolved mystery, maybe something like a Novermber Rain II.
Verdict: 8/10

14: Prostitute 6:15
This song sounds good in parts. More than that, I want the pianos dead. Enough of your pianos, Axl. Get a solid rhythm guitarist and a talented drummer, that’s what this album needs. The songs have complex synth, pianos, solos and a bass and rhythm somehwhere that is lost. Rest all is missing to Axl’s voice.
Verdict: 8/10

OVERALL ALBUM FARES:……………… 8/10
Bottomline is: Axl is so darn good and dedicated and focused on the album everybody else faded away from the listener’s ear. The songs are very nice, by the way, if it is taken as an Axl Rose solo album. That’s exactly what it sounds like, an Axl solo album, like the way Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden made his own. There is no personality that shows promising parts on the album, save some Buckethead/Finck/Fortrus/Bumblefoot, that you can’t make out which is which anyways. But most solos are impressive, more memorable than the songs themselves. The arrangements have been overdone on the pianos and vocals, the two things Axl himself performs. He maybe thinks he is a new Robert Plant, with the screaming and the experimentalism that is oh-so Led Zeppelin, the second band I respect the most. The songs are good as a solo artist, not as a band. I expected some team-work here but all we have is some unknowns playing to Axl’s favourite tunes and ideas. No wonder people walk out of such projects. But you have to give Axl credit for achieving so much without any real team or much support. And all the bad luck and mistakes he’s been through, I feel he has done a brilliant job. This album is yours and yours only dude. He is back with a great, versatile album that spans many genres, showcasing his flexibility to sing in any kind of song. And that’s all. Those who were thinking a neo-Appetite was to rule the world, you’re wrong. This is for Axl’s fans strictly speaking; and for those who don’t mind rock n’ roll love songs and can neglect the fact that many of the songs lack hardcore music. Cut the name Guns N’ Roses, this is W. Axl Rose: Chinese Democracy.

10 rock songs to listen before you die

10 best rock songs of my life:
If I were to god forbid die tomorrow, these are the ten songs I would listen to before dying.

1: Stairway to Heaven-Led Zeppelin. The essential, the number one in terms of everything. It has the most soulful singing, the ethereal music, the excellent drums and the blistering solo. The best rock song of the entire span of genre.
2: Sweet Child O’ Mine-Guns N’ Roses: The song that got me hooked on rock. This is my grassroots song. This must have been the first song I must have listened to countless number of times.
3: Alive-Pearl Jam: This song had some quality to it that really changed my stereotype rock likings. The open verses have lyrics narrating a powerful story and the solo awe-inspired me to once take off my shirt and air-guitar>;D
4: Smoke On the Water- Deep Purple: The first power chord of the universe by Deep Purple, exclusive. Also my first song I learned on guitar. Beautiful for its simplicity.
5: November Rain- Guns N’ Roses: This song has great value for its orchestral music fused with great 80’s rock. Awesome.
6: Smells Like Teen Spirit- Nirvana: Prides itself for stripped down, revolutionary grunge music. The big change of the 90’s, my birth decade. Generation X.
7: Nothing Else Matters- Metallica: The song shows an aggressive dose of metal and a mind numbing solo with extraordinary orchestral music. My second favourite power ballad.
8: Rock You Like A Hurricane- Scorpions: Mindless rock n’ roll!!! Great chorus and even better guitars.
9: Voodoo Child- Jimi Hendrix: The song that taught me to appreciate old music. The most extreme of its kind in its times, this song is the origin of all great guitarists to emerge afterwards.
10: Iron Man/In The End-Black Sabbath/Linkin Park: I wished to give this slot to two bands and two songs. One is a heavy hard hitting song from the 70’s-80’s metal origin era. The second is a revolutionary 2000’s song that is like cyber-metal. Nu-metal, to be specific. Both share this position in my mind.

Human Perplexity

I have noticed several times on social networking sites a very unsettling trend: almost every person is trying to prove something in their profile, especially in the ‘about me’ section. It generally consists of vague descriptions on how cool/funky/trendy/stylish/smart/dude/yo/hip/popular/etc.etc. the person is. What is the purpose of this? Why is everybody wanting to display themselves as ‘cool’? Why do they feel it will make them socially popular? Is it that necessary? Does a display of false interests in popular culture make you stand out in the crowd? Is that what defines ‘cool’? First of all, why do we have to be this cool entity? Why not stand up for your own views and principles? If we are not going to think for ourselves as the youth of the nation and continue this mindless imitation of popular culture, our personalities are bland. What I’m saying isn’t that quit popular culture in itself. Go with the trend, but be something above it at the same time. If we were all the same clones of interests and ideals, our character and personality looks insipid. Think about what you really care. Issues that touch you. Thoughts that disturb you. Ideas that excite you. Speak out on this. This is the essence of our existence. When you know what you’re looking for and know what you stand for only then can we demand a right to be a citizen of democracy and ask for all our freedoms. Come on people, it’s time we contemplate. Stand up for a cause, because when a crowd stands together for something is when change can be brought in. That is exactly what the world needs to be better: change. Think of democracy. Governance. Justice. Environment(emphasis needed). Civil unrest. Social inequality. There’s so much to think about, so many issues that need to be stressed on.

AC/DC's Black Ice Album Review

Review of AC/DC’s Black Ice

1: Rock & Roll Train 4:21
DÉJÀ VU!!!! The song is like as if brought from the 80’s era of AC/DC. Very old-school, the best AC/DC can do. It has all the potentials for a good rock n’ roll song: catchy tune, great killer riffs, lots of powerful choruses. It reminds of the mindless and timeless rock that was once so popular in pubs and bars where bikers attended meetings. Just lacks a good solo from Angus Young.
Verdict: Good 8/10

2: Skies On Fire 3:34
Nice, solid riffs. AC/DC continues to be the favourite among guitar riff lovers and air-guitarists alike. Somewhat subdued vocals though, but I enjoyed the chorus personally. “Skies on fire, flames go higher” The solo has arrived! Ripping through the song like a well-aimed arrow, it thrills you for a minute. Good stuff. Keep it going this way AC/DC!!
Verdict: Good 8/10

3: Big Jack 3:57
I can imagine how fun this song would be to sing along to on karaoke. All the songs until now remind me of a rock party where each one is singing these fun-filled rock n’ roll songs. Riffs aren’t as heavy as one usually expects, but amazingly Brian Johnson sings with great poise and clarity with his trademark scowls and yells. And yes, the song is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the male appendage. Naughty boys, these AC/DC.
Verdict: Good 8/10

4: Anything Goes 3:22
Wait a second, this sounded like some new band of 2000’s. No, it’s AC/DC! Very different way of starting an AC/DC song. Innovative riffs and tune. Brian isn’t as rough as he normally is, a bit mellowed down for this track. Nice, but the vocals weren’t that impressive as this song fades from your memory quick.
Verdict: Okay 7/10

5: War Machine 3:09
Wow, lovely start for a song. Nice musicianship from these guys. The basic riff is very metal-like, but in the traditional AC/DC sound. You can’t make out what is Brian mumbling, but your attention diverts to the simple yet powerful drums and the grinding power chords. Few silences inserted in between for good effect. Should work for AC/DC hardcore fans.
Verdict: Good 8/10

6: Smash N’ Grab 4:06
I think the traditional starts for AC/DC are getting a bit saturated in my mind. They’re great quality, but somewhat getting repetitive. Vocals weren’t the usual sing-along tracks. I am anticipating for a big solo in the album to entitle “best solo of the album” The tempo should have gone up a bit by now, but all is forgiven for another good solo near the third minute. The chorus was dumb for an AC/DC song.
Verdict: Okay 7/10

7: Spoilin’ For A Fight 3:17
Back to the grind and back to the sing along tracks. Again a solid riff, verse and sing-along chorus. I’m waiting for something new and entertaining. The song is listenable and is nice by the way, but I’m nearing saturation point. I’m feeling as though the last song has continued in this one.
Verdict: I’m bored, but good 8/10

8: Wheels 3:28
Only new thing is the drum beat. I’m sensing a little boost in volume now. Brian started getting a little screechy. But I want something radical!
Verdict: Okay 7/10 (ratings will drop if this ordeal continues)

9: Decibel 3:34
Brian never sang in such a low pitch before for the first few verses. But he resumed his auto pilot screaming, and I got into depression on another AC/DC clone-like song. There isn’t much Decibel to this song as there is a lack of a good chorus. Survives my criticism due to the two-minute solo.
Verdict: Average 6/10

10: Stormy May Day 3:10
The song everyone’s been talking about. Angus on slide guitar!!!! Wow! Lovely new sound from this idea. I loved this song more than others on the album. Ultra-cool chorus with the ultra-cool riff makes this my latest best pick. This deserves a good review.
Verdict: Very good 9/10

11: She Likes Rock N Roll 3:53
Better tempo than the initially sluggish pace. Riffs have become faster. Vocals have become more ranged. Good rock n’ roll!! I enjoy the instruments on this track too. Solo nominee for best solo. I enjoyed the rock n’ roll cliché though…
Verdict: Kinda very good 8 ½ /10

12: Money Made 4:15
Another recurring theme in AC/DC songs, “money.” Use of palm muting extensively in the entire song. Interesting lead guitar fill-ins.
Verdict: okay 7/10

13: Rock N Roll Dream
Soulful singing from Brian. Startlingly, no power chord to begin with, but comes hard hitting later. But I’m tired of this clichéd cliché. No more rock n roll titles please.

14: Rocking All The Way
I guess my request was denied. Yet again, mediocre rock and roll. But this one is something like an offspring of the previous song. Hence the review will be the same as of the one above.
Verdict: Okay 7 ½ /10

15: Black Ice
Not to my satisfaction. All it has is a somewhat good riff. But such uninspiring vocals! Lackluster for the title album song. I don’t know why, but it seems average to me.
Verdict: okey-dokey 8/10

Overall album review: It is not suggested you listen to the album continuously. The repetitiveness can bore you and tarnish AC/DC’s reputation. We can’t let that happen. Rock N’ Roll has to stay alive. So listen it in mixed tracks playlist. Enjoy it on download or radio but don’t buy it, it isn’t worth. The songs are good technically speaking, but they are not innovative. This is just old wine in a new bottle. They should think of expanding their fanbase by bringing new ideas, rather than just serve old fans. You can’t come back and make a mark in this fashion.
MY OVERALL ALBUM VERDICT….
GOOD ENOUGH 7 ½ /10

Next Review: CHINESE DEMOCRACY- GUNS N’ ROSES!!!!!!

BIG POST

long time no post so here's a reallly big one...enjoy
Analysis of times hit when object is thrown at a moving ceiling fan
Okay, so no bullshit. Let's get direct to the things that happen when you throw an object into a moving fan.
There is 60% chance of the object being hit at a regular size fan. I did 3 tests with three different objects; each test of 10 throws at the fan.
Object hit ratio was 10% or less (one in ten throws or none) when object is small.
Hits are of high force when hit perpendicular to surface of object (like baseball). Grazing may just shove them or send them spinning randomly.
Maximum velocity hits are near the edge of the fan, where shots go at 6km/hr with plastic objects. That’s the speed of a jogging man.
If the object is of different composition i.e. heavier, or if hit near joint of blades to the core or both occur, speed is very, very low. They are just smacked some 70cm away.
There is 50-50 chance that the object will pass through, but will be smacked when returning to the ground. The object is thrown; it passes, touches the ceiling and while coming down with gravity, gets one BIG blow.
Round objects (I tried with a marble) get hit 20-30% which is low, but not the least really.
A ruler or scale gets hit 50-50 chances (and breaks one fine day due to overthrowing>:)
DO NOT THROW CRICKET STUMPS OR METAL OBJECTS. THE FAN WILL DETACH AND FALL ON YOUR HEAD (which seems dumb enough to do such idiocy)
A parallelepiped (which means some pipe-like thingy or just any ballpen) is hit second highest at 6 hits per 10 throws.
And do you want to know which object has highest hit chances? Scroll down......











































THE AWARD FOR MAXIMUM HITS WHEN THROWN AT A RUNNING FAN GOES TO.......






















THE PAPER PLANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Paper planes missed only once! That’s right, only once. They get maximum hits of 9 in ten throws!! Applause!!! The paper plane is easy to make, easy to aim and throw and easy to get hit! Must do in classroom! Only con in this is: The plane can get stuck in the fan. Chances 50% or less, but happens. So keep a set ready, or you'll be paper plane-less. so that's all guys, hope this was fun enough for you.... of course it was...try it yourself at home. You can send me more ideas and your own experiments at slayersid18@gmail.com

THINGS TO DO IN CLASS WHEN BORED

If you are bored in class and want to have some fun or time pass, here are a few things to do.
1: Hum songs. It's really easy and novice job to do. Start humming Deep Purple's 'Smoke on The Water'. Slowly advance to rock anthems (like Rock You Like A Hurricane) and finally yell operas as loud as you can. Try and test which teacher takes how much of the music.
2: Get a rubber band. Wrap it double between 2 fingers. Take a paper clip or paper balls and rocket them across the class. Try throwing them out the window. Mine landed in the basket of a cycle parked outside!
3: Get a big bag of Lays or other crunchies and snack on. Keep em in the bag, place it next to you on the bench and sneak a few crisps every now and then. Sip some Coke if you want too. (Generally we're too broke to afford Coke in school) 4: Dance. No, not with a partner around the classroom... While sitting, nod your head forwards and backwards, best supported with a funky song beat. Then start headbanging, thrashing and air-guitaring like you're Van Halen or something. This is great generally when the teacher blows the fuse off your brain by boring you for MANY periods.
5: Think the teacher is propagating satanic messages/lewd messages/abusive messages. Take her sentences in that meaning. Fairly difficult, but when successful, is a roar of laughter. Much needed for liveliness in class. If you have accompaniment in this activity, it boosts the laughability of the situation. (The teacher says to a student: “Look carefully as I remove the factor.” You can imagine what we can substitute for factor… underwear, AK-47. Get innovative)
6: Stare at a person purposely, like he is offending you or something. Get a group to do this for explosive results. The guy you stare at will generally be sent out the class for disturbance!!
7: Frame someone innocent. Make a permanent scapegoat for this purpose. Like, if the teacher asks who is making noises, take his name. All day! (Preferably stare at him too.)
8: Write satanic and rebellious messages on the desk using a compass. Stuff like "GOD IS A LIE" "HELL BECKONS ALL TO SALVATION," "HOMEWORK IS FOR ASSHOLES" and "GOD BLESS THE DEVIL" are instant hits. I once wrote “GOD SAT HERE ONCE”. The next person sitting there was asking everyone who wrote that… hehehehe!!!
9: Play cards and chess and whatever indoors in middle of class. Warning: This is risky, try only on ignorant teachers.
10: THE BEST THING TO DO IN CLASS: take a paper. Powder a chalk. Roll the paper, stuffing the powder in it. Blow from one end, it looks like you're smoking. Filter tip one end with cotton for better results. Note: DO NOT BLOW INWARDS OR BREATHE THE CIGAR. YOU'LL HAVE CHALK DEPOSITS IN YOUR LUNGS. This does not encourage smoking but encourages freaking out people.That's all. Share your ideas of fun in class too! Enjoy the methods and hopefully nothing will happen if you're alert enough!!!!! :)

HOW TO MAKE FARTING NOISES WITH YOUR PALM
It’s really not that difficult. Practice and trial-error experimenting will serve you wonders.
Method:
· Wipe your mouth first. Nothing sucks more than a dirty mouth.
· Now, hold your left/right palm over your lips.
· Make sure your lips are not curled outwards (like a kiss) but the other way around, inwards
· Lightly, LIGHTLY press your hand with the unused hand for a grip-like support.
· BLOW. Blow even and not too hard.
· You will feel exit routes for air from the grooves on your palm. These make the fart-like noises.
· Try until you achieve farts at the lowest blows.
· Now that you’ve learnt basic noises, try various types. The wet fart, the Harley-Davidson fart, the chain-gun fart, the squealing fart, the ‘classic gas’ fart.
HOW TO MAKE A BLOODY JOHN
This is really cool kitchen experiment. You'll need:
1. 1 tablespoon lemon juice
2. 2 tablespoons of your favourite red coloured crush, be it strawberry or kokum or whatever.
3. Little sugar and grey rock salt.
Fill a glass with 3/4ths of water. Dissolve the sugar and salt, the crush and squeeze the lemon on the top , so that it looks crimson below and this white clear layer on top. Mix it before serving, and don’t forget to add ice!
Tip: If the concentration of crush and sugar is increased by a few spoons, crushed ice can be garnished for excellent slushie-like taste.
HOW TO MAKE A LEMON SNAPP
You'll need:
1. lemon juice
2. a ripe tamarind
3. sugar and salt to taste
Make lemon sorbet as normal, mixing juice, sugar and pinch of salt in water. Now take the tamarind piece, place on a spoon, put a few drops of water and squash with your hand. It should be like pressing a button. Soon you'll get a thick paste Mix it in the juice. Let it chill. Enjoy the Sour Lemon Snapp!!! Goes best served with chips/sandwich
Then I tried a few things outdoors too....
MAKING A MARKER PEN ROCKET
I figured I needed something combustible to do a propulsion act, like a rocket. So here I made the list of ingredients:
1. A full matchbox.
2. Tissue paper.
3. A corkscrew or a drill to make holes.
4. A good wick. Preferably like one in a firecracker.
5. A fat used marker pen.Take a few matchsticks, and shave their sulphur heads off. Collect the sulphur powder in a tissue. Roll the tissue into a small ball. Then take the marker-pen and empty the core, so that the marker nib is gone and we get an exit route for our rocket.It should be open on one end, like a cannon.Put in the sulphur ball; make a hole from the other end. Make sure it’s airy enough. Put the wick in the freshly made hole. (I prefer thrusting a match inside.) And watch the fireworks from the other end. Enjoy. (Mine blew itself up.) Plz do post me I'm dying for any attention. Tell me how you like this page.

Review of Metallica's "Death Magnetic"

I'm happy to be writing this article as one of the first to write a full song-to-song review of Metallica's new album "Death Magnetic"
The whole album has this heavy, hard-hitting tone to it that you experience from the first track and keeps coming as the tracks go on.
It is definitely better than their last album St. Anger, and despite me being not so pro-Metallica, I find the album impressive enough for a band fading from the notice of the audience.
The track listing and their individual reviews:

1: That was Just Your Life 7:08

I found the title as a very interesting name. The song starts in a way reminiscent of Metallica's Enter Sandman. Then it progresses to heavy riffs and great drumming, much improved vocals and a tempo that keeps increasing to the final climax. Hetfield is flawless, what’s more impressive is Lars Ulrich drumming and setting the punch of the song. Hammet delivers his best as usual. The final part is good for a start. My verdict: Fairly good. 8/10

2: The End of The Line 7:52

The second song continues in the tone of the first one, only with much more tempo and more shouting vocals. Not very impressive, as it tends to get repetitive, but I am totally awestruck by Lars and Kirk’s ‘bang-bang’ timing, like pounding bullets. Good, but not very good to remain in my memory for long. My verdict:
Okay. 7/10

3: Broken, Beat and Scarred 6:25

Innovative riffs are spiced and scattered throughout the song. I love the solid tempo at the beginning maintained by Lars, Kirk and Trujillo (only if you play close attention can you actually hear Trujillo). Vocals are somewhat boring after a few minutes. You can easily make out he’s saying “what don’t kill ya make ya more strong” throughout the song. Okay idea to run as its fuel. Close to the end of the third minute it sounded like Hammet was escalating the song’s tone to start his solo-blazing. And my, does he go fast. Enjoyable in pieces. My verdict:
Okay. 71/2 /10

4: The Day That Never Comes 7:56

Definitely one of my favourites. I love this song second best. I like the alternative metal style of Metallica more than their heavy-metal and thrash glory of former years, as I’m not a ‘real’ fan of old-Metallica. But this song has a style to it that is somewhat like Nothing Else Matters and Unforgiven as well as Fade to Black. The clean guitar along with the hard touches, Lars’ brilliant drumming and Hetfield gets a full chance to show off his vocals. The sudden change in tempo is somewhat unexpected, but it fits for the end has quite an innovation in soloing style with unusual scales and patterns of different keys, as well as some of the usual stuff Met churns out. Hammet knows how to make the guitar squeal. It would have gotten my 10 but I feel it’s a tad too long.
My verdict:
Very Good. 9/10

5: All Nightmare Long 7:58

My God. It looks like Lars and Hammet have planned to sacrifice their hands to play such tunes for a great Metallica hit. Awesome instrumentals. Vocals are a bit wacky for a metal song, and that’s welcome! It had a different tune to it thanks to Hetfield’s improvisation on new tunes to sing with. I feel this will be quite a challenge to play on Guitar Hero, truly a long nightmare one can expect in the final stages. Again, getting repetitive can kill a song with some boredom. It doesn’t have a leash on you like the old Metallica songs of Black Album keep, wanting your attention. Though it strays a little, it has a treasury of musical value and improvisation. Good for Met fans. My verdict:
Fairly good. 8/10

6: Cyanide 6:39

Wow. It had the best start to any song on this album. Very catchy tune. Infectious. What else can I say, you’ll be humming this song for some time after you hear it, especially the “Suicide! I’ve already died/ Cyanide! Living dead inside” part that I personally enjoy. It should be a Metallica staple from now on as it has the potential. Yet again, the unusual tempo changes startle you. If you are a purist, you may not enjoy it. But I find it quite a great feature of the song, and they have the guts to trust in such a roller-coaster pattern for an important song. It sounds like a live version being played out, with all the innovative techniques used. I feel it’s difficult to execute such tempo changes, and only Met can do it. Hats off.
Excellent: 10/10

7: Unforgiven III 7:46
I was scared of what this would turn out to be. It came as a pleasant surprise. The song is very, very original and gives you the déjà vu of the old Unforgivens, as it has a remote semblance in just a few parts. I liked the idea of incorporating the keyboards at the beginning. Trujillo’s bass has started to surface now very much, since track 5. Vocals are inspiring, making me want to sing that way. Very good, but not epic like the Unforgiven nor as catchy as Unforgiven II. If not being compared, this is easily the third best song I’d pick from the album as a listener but not as a ‘true’ Metallica fan as they’d prefer something more hardcore. My verdict:
Almost Excellent. 9 ½ /10

8: Judas Kiss 8:00
Fans of hardcore Metallica should enjoy this one. After a long time has such a power-packed and well made song being performed. The “sell your soul to me” part is my eternal favourite. Excellent standards for a classic Metallica song. Competes with Cyanide for the best song’s place. I feel this is going to be the Grammy winning song for this album. Watch the heroes at their best in this song. My verdict:
Excellent. 10/10

9: Suicide and Redemption 9:57
I suspected this would be their experimental song on the album. I felt it had a great tune to the riffs. Very solid in form from the start itself. Has a beautiful waltzy part in the fourth minute that I enjoyed very much. It was then that it dawned on me that the song is an entire instrumental. A great one for that matter. It is my wish to be able to perform this song for metal connoisseurs in front of a live crowd. It has extraordinarily great musical material. I feel they should remake this song and use the riffs for a vocal song, like a new song in itself. My verdict:
Almost Excellent. 9 ½ /10

10: My Apocalypse 5:01
The shortest song on the album, My Apocalypse is definitely the most vividly patterned song. It has a peculiar drum beat, genius work of Lars. The song is average, and I feel should have been somewhere in the start, with Judas Kiss being the finale. Not a great finale this one, but good stuff for fans to relish. The tempo bleeds as the song proceeds and dies out in a great bang. Good effect for a song. My verdict:
Fairly Good. 8/10

The entire album has been somewhat consistent, with much needed surprises and novelty. There have been spots where you lose focus on the music, but most of the songs catch your attention. And to believe that this is NOT the album after …And Justice for All is hard, for it has that classic edge to it. A very good attempt by Metallica to restore their former glory. How much they succeed depends on the choice of the listeners. I feel, the album is worth for all those who love Metallica and all those who’d like to experience a different kind of heavy metal album. That’s the key factor in the album: novelty. Listen and appreciate it for that factor.
OVERALL ALBUM FARES……
VERY GOOD!! 9/10

Had it been slightly more consistent and more attention catching, it would have been epic. Since it ain’t epic it is the thing closest to it right now. Enjoy the album.
My favourites:
That Was Just Your Life
The Day That Never Comes
Cyanide
Unforgiven III
The Judas Kiss
Suicide and Redemption
Try the album out. It’s worth listening to.

Rock On!! rocked my senses!!

Wow. After years have I seen a movie like this one. It is fabulous for a hindi movie, and the music is very much ahead of bollywood commercial crap. The last good movie i remember watching with the realism of this one is long forgotten....
The whole movie is good. It may drag a bit at the first half and get little dramatic in the end, but the movie is true to heart and a perfect buddy flick. It gave me a whole lot of hope to be a part of a band in the future, for I had almost lost every little bit of it just some months ago.
College is okay for now. We have given the guilty enough harassment for this week. I am absolutely dumbstruck with the Trignometry chapter but i find it fun to laugh till my stomach aches. It's been days since that happened to me. So i'm quite satisfied.
Test next week. 21 lessons!!! i never may have studied so many lessons even in my 10th standard. hopefully ill get decent marks.

next post whenever there is time. currently engaged in production of an alternative original music album and studies

Sad Story

hmmmmmmphhhhhh........................

Teacher's Day never sucked so bad in my life.
It was un-believable... you would have had more fun talking to the teacher in class than watch such a BORING program (that started like, an hour late?)
and what was more stupid was that we weren't allowed to visit our secondary teachers. We couldn't wish them or send our regards because of a stupid order given by a power-driven madwoman.

I have no respect for a principal who doesn't value the students. We are nothing but tools used by her to generate trophies, shields and certificates and most importantly, the SSC and HSC scores. The higher we get, the higher our school fees are gonna get.

Major let down. I have never felt so much negative emotion since a long time, the last one being when i made Lighted To Loot Community in response to the ban on 10th b(my class) for attending the send off function.
And as for a band performance, a better day will come. It is a dark night now. The night is darkest before dawn. I am waiting for the dawn to arise and embrace us now.................
Till then, practice and pray!

Where is the God Of Rock?

I had this firm determination 4 years back when i heard my first ever progressive rock group song: I want to play guitar like those guys. A year later, I'm searching for people to form a band. Another year later, i get the right kind of people, only to find I'm alone at the last moment. The next year, everything has been in our favour, and guess what? Some other punks who've been playing all along for years steal our job. It is a cold fish whacked in your face when something like that happens again.

I'm talking about current year 2008-2009. 5th of September, the goddarned day I always plan to slave out for. This year, I believed no force of nature could stop me from performing. And i even had my gig registered in the performances. And when I'm all ready, gear-wise and mentally, I get a notice saying there is no time for a separate group performance. How bloody @$&$@$%^ is that!!!!!!!!!!!!

The entire school system is manipulative. Students like me get trapped in this manipulation. I bet you, I must've known atleast five people whose talents were wasted just because of this kind of manipulation. FIVE PEOPLE. I can't fall prey to the same fate.

I have no idea what I'm gonna do. Whatever it may be, I might get drastic........
i have to brush my teeth and have breakfast. Ciao.

Excavation experience

Today I was clearing up old junk…really boring but it sure beats studying Chemistry…lol :D
Just happened to rediscover lots of old stuff I had kept from my 3rd standard. A few of them:
A mirinda bottle cap with 100$ printed on it…part of a competition where one had to collect 500$ to win a GameBoy
My diver G.I.Joe I got free with a tube of Pepsodent. One legged, rigid due to the other leg being FeviKwiked. I used to tie the only foot with a thread and push him off places, like bungee jumping
A mini computer-lookalike I made out of cardboard! Complete with mouse, keyboard, mousepad and 2 CDs of Road Rash and Age of Empires
A plastic marble I had excavated from my ground floor playing days. Dug up and found this one, multiple faced, football like black marble. Reminded me of the one in Jumanji at the centre of the board.
A badge I had made with Agent Sidharth written on it. It’s even got VIP Acess and other such authority wielding names…
An X-Men card game I had made myself when I was in 6th standard. Didn’t really take off into a full-fledged game
My favorite bubble kit…I love the frog shaped bubble blower
Lots of good memories!!!

I guess that’s childhood well spent. Those were the days, always doing something new without any actual plans like I keep nowadays.
It’s fun to actually do stuff like this. There is no Indian Standard of Nerdiness, thankfully, but I’m sure I’ll score pretty high on a U.S. Standard of Nerdiness. I guess inventing a boardgame, making prank toys and drawing crazy cartoons is all part of nerdiness as defined in their laws and sections.
I THEREFORE PROUDLY DECLARE TO BE A NERD!!!!(a happy one for that matter)

Lessons from Spongebob

Strange title? Even stranger post. (If anyone is reading this aaat aaalll. I doubt anyone does, or anyone would bother to tell me they do.) Spongebob is great. He is REALLY too great for me to describe.In case you haven't seen Spongebob yet, catch an episode on Colors and then read this. 3 cheers to Colors for starting the show there....Spongebob is a strange fellow. He looks like an adult but is really a child at heart. Quote Wiki:"SpongeBob is a porous yellow sponge with large blue eyes, many holes appearing all around his body, a mouth with prominent front buck teeth, dimples and freckles. He is also, at times, shown to have hair. He typically wears a white shirt with a red tie and brown square trousers (the entire outfit is sometimes referred to as his "pants") - hence his family name - and black leather shoes. When he works at the Krusty Krab, he wears a hat with an anchor on it as a uniform. He replaces the necktie with a chokie bow tie for special events. He sleeps in his pajamas (in the episode "Sleepy Time"), in pajamas or in underwear, with shoes, or barefoot in various episodes; in the movie he sleeps wearing socks and underwear."

What is so appealing about Spongebob? He's appealing to one and all, from 8 year olds to 80 year olds. The comic nature of the show attracts kids. I personally laugh to tears at the stupidity. And alongwith the slapstick comes a great deal of dialogue, character and the realness of his personality. There is a Spongebob in each one of us. The problem is, this Spongebob is dying out of us. When we watch the show, we will find it all too silly for adults' entretainment. But somewhere deep down, we love this character. If there was one best friend in my life I'd wish was, it would have to be Spongebob. The absolute contrast of Spongebob is his grouchy neighbour Squidward. He is a big-time pessimist, and he kinda symbolizes the adult human being. You know, "get off my lawn! stop yelling! stupid kids!" type. As we mature, we are ACTUALLY turning into this creature.Spongebob on the other hand, is happy, funny and frolicking. He reminds me of the timeless age when all I did was have fun and never take any tension at all.

Just imagine a world with no crazy stuff, no funny incidents, no wacky situations. That is a world without Spongebob. We have a lot to learn from Spongebob. We have to learn to bring the kid inside us back again. That, I feel, is the essence of life.

Moreover, Spongebob is a symbol of pop-culture, and he's got bands like Metallica playing to his credits. That's why i dig Spongebob. Check out his Goofy Goober Rock video on YouTube or watch the Spongebob Squarepants movie.

I LOVE SPONGEBOB AND HE WILL LIVE FOREVER!!!!!!!

First day of college

First day of college was quite a let down.... very disppointed with the fact that they've installed CCTV cameras to actually watch us. And there's this boys' lounge some 3 floors below, so when we have to pee, jump down 3 floors and rush!!! Rumor has it they've installed a CCTV camera there with nightvision. hahahaha



School............

What do I expect from a school? Since I'm out of school, I know EXACTLY what a school needs. 1:good teaching staff

2:good athletic training staff

3:Some place where everyone gets a chance to show off...sometimes other people are just treated like a lower strata of society...imagine the plight of a 16 year old not in football, athletics, academics, music, art or even just something plain as elocution

As far as my school is concerned...no comments

I'm kind of drowsy today...

Yes.....it's one of those rare days when a lazy butt like me can actually go and just work his ass off. I'm so bloody spent today....
It starts with a 6:30 departure in the morn for a TEST. The sad part is we've got minus markings for the test....hehe
I'm so hopeless i must have just scored 80 out of 300. I then had this strong feeling in the bus nagging me all the time. I think it was the dire need for school and my notoriously fun class. I MISS SCHOOL................boohoohoo:(
But its okay, college starts tomorrow. Now it will lead to the point when school seems nothing and college is the best time of our life. School........i have a school of thoughts on this topic.
What is the meaning of schooling?

School, as far as experience tells me, can be viewed in two ways. Either it’s the place designed for simulating a dog-eat-dog world, or it’s the greatest place to hangout with friends. People take it many ways, some believe it’s a dog-eat-dog world, some say it’s only good enough for hanging out with friends, while some see it as a combination of both, as I personally do. Dog-eat-dog in the sense everyone is jumping at you, telling you study this, study that, get so much marks, top the class. It’s just giving us an idea of the innumerous people who swim for the medal in a huge race of humans.
I was pretty anti- rat race initially after i heard how 70 students fight for a seat in IIT. Seriously, IIT is too much of a cliche. I can't handle such super-cliches. But then, man has been struggling since history tells us. First it was food, then it was forming a civilized life, then it has been territorial problems, and the list for which man has struggled goes on and on....
This entrance exams writing thingy is just the newest struggle where we practice Darwinism. Survival of the fittest. I'm getting a bit fitter for my own good, in the end. So I got to study...lolz what a hypocrite I am. I say I hate studies and eventually I'm ACTUALLY spending 6 hours now for a test(the day before only, mind you .I must have done just a few hours more for my SSC!!!!)
Next time: What schools lack, according to me, in modern India. I seriously feel these shortcomings as a student!!!!

What is this Existentialism?

A term coined by myself (during long hours of thinking a name for a band), Existentialism is proving ourselves what we're here in this world for. A bit of philosophy, chatter, voicing opinion and pouring out one's thoughts, this is the cocktail that intellectual writers and other creative artists crave for. A place to voice our thoughts. This is where I lay my ideologies, my beliefs and my opinions. And I let all people interested to share their views too! This can be something like a debate, but I believe in what I say and most probably will stand my ground despite any opposition. So indulge in some thoughtful writing by myself, and voice your own opinion too.