Architects - Daybreak ( 2012 ) Review

Architects have been around the Uk scene for what seems like forever now, despite them still been a relatively new and young band. "Daybreaker," is the bands 5th full length release.The five-some hailing from Brighton have been a breath of fresh hair and one of the pioneers of fresh talent of technical metal within The UK, and have gained a creditable fan base not just in the UK, but around the world.

However that was then, and this is now. With the release of the much criticised previous album "The Here And Now," which resulted in Architects trading in there progressive edge, for a more commercialised post hardcore sound, think of a B rated version of Alexisonfire. The album received a contrasting reviews. majority of Architects fans, myself included who have been following the band since the early days disliked the bands evolution, and felt they have forgotten about their roots. Im all for bands changing and evolving there sound, however to put it bleakly "The Here And Now," was a bag of grade A monkey crap. Whilst there were those who loved the new sound,  and they did gain more mainstream recognition and reached out to a new audience it felt like they have forgotten about there former success, without been biased I am a fan of Post Hardcore bands such as like mentioned Alexisonfire and Funeral For A Friend, so its not bitter because they changed there sound, it just doesn't suit hem.

So we are now left with "Daybreaker," the bands 5th album and follow up to "The Here And now." The one question remains will they return to there roots or progress to an even more commercialised sound. The answer is neither, Ill give them credit it is not as commercialised however it falls even further away from there roots. I'm really not sure what direction they were heading. "Daybreak," has a very atmospheric feel with plenty of mellow aspects attempting to build up emotion,  mixing that up with some hardcore progressive aspects. It almost feels like there trying to hard to be a more metal commercialised version of bands like "La Dispute," and "Touche Amore," which dosent work, Architects are at there best when there full of raw aggression and edgy progressive rhythm.  To me it feels like there trying to hard to cater for all there fans and finding a right formula to keep both the new sets of fans and the oldies happy. Whilst at the same time abandoning them as it is really not aimed at either,  On the first few listens its not a bad record and you think hey, maybe this is a grower. Of which it soon turns dull and into a complete snoozefest and its just boring. The only aspect that really stands out on the album is when Sam Carter shouts "You Fucking Pigs," thats the only thing I can record that reaches to me. It will be worthless to individually talk about some of the songs as going through the track list now I can't remember anything interesting about them. Apparently "Oli Sykes," provides guest vocals, such is how disappointing and bland the album is I didn't even noticed.Its not an awful album, its just not good  which is a shame as Architects used to be a brilliant band but maybe they have been a downfall of there own success.

Overall I would not recommend "Daybreaker," to anyone unless you are a diehard "Architects," fan then you may enjoy it. If your new to the band or don't want there legacy to be ruined then stick to "Hollow Crown," "Ruin," and "Nightmares."

Similar Artists: Bring Me The Horizon, While She Sleeps, Your Demise, The Ghost Inside

4/10

NFL In London, Is It A Benefit ?

This week London hosts the NFL encounter between the ST Louis Rams and the New England Patriots, and let me first say this is not your friendly pre season match. This is a scheduled fixture which  will count towards the end of season playoffs. You must see it as pretty weird as to why London is the host of a game that is the number 1 sport in USA and is only played professionally within the boundaries. Yes there has been rumours of a franchise moving to Canada but that is yet to materialise, even rumours of UK hosting the Super Bowl.

To the NFL franchise's  they see it as a way of branching out and attracting new customers. NFL in the UK is very popular and they are many semi pro teams around the land. A debatable question would be could the UK ever have have its own franchise, I'm not sure as to the rules and stipulations as to whether this would even be possible but theres no reasons to suggest why this concept would be nothing less than a success. Every NFL game the UK has hosted has sold out within no time at all, and due to such a high demand the NFL commissioners have announced the UK will host 2 games next year. As to whether London will be the host for both dates I'm not sure if its been confirmed but in all probability seems very likely. The ever increase of jerseys been wore in the general public has increased. Ive witnessed everything from Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jerseys, Pittsburgh Steelers snapbacks and most recently came across a Tom Brady Jersey. This is evident enough that hosting games in UK are not just having a beneficial impact towards the teams that compete, but the whole NFL as people are becoming more interested in the game and selecting there favourite teams providing more retail sales for franchises. The Uk has begun to get more TV rights to show the games, with most recently BBC showing the Monday Night Football live on the red button. Channel 4 show the late game on the Sunday / monday morning and Sky have excellent coverage of all the games. Just displaying the ever increasing popularity of the sport over here.

With the benefits, there is also a negative point of perspective. For all the american fans of the teams that are participating in the London game they are loosing out of a game. In this case ST Louis Rams are the home team. So fans of the Rams in the USA are the ones who will suffer from seeing a potential home fixture moved from the calendar. Patriots are also one of the top NFL teams at the moment and one of the biggest rivalries within the whole division so would have been a very attractive game of football, and no doubt would have been a sell out. majority of Fans of all teams have a negative view on the concept of London hosting NFL. Of which they believe it should be kept american, and if there was to be NFL in foreign countries it should be kept to exhibition matches, its a valid point as it compromises all angles. No doubt the game would still sell out but there is nothing like a competitive match to attract viewers. Other american sports such as Ice Hockey and Basketball travel to europe regular in pre season to hold exhibition matches but NFL is the only one to cater for a competitive match ups. Its not like these franchises are struggling for fan bases.  Obviously some teams have bigger demand but compared to british football where we have 90 plus teams. The NfL is compromised to a league of 32 of which some states have a population of up to 32 million.  Missouri which is the state where ST Louis originates from has a population of around 9 million, so in comparison its the equivalent of there only been 1 team to follow in London, so the fan base is there for most teams, its just about branching out to another market.

There was a debate years ago as to the primieship holding league games in foreign countries, not just america but worldwide from UAE to Australia, which received ultimately negative press. I believe this was performed in the same concept as the NFL matches coming here. Though one valid point was that Soccer is a worldwide sport played professionally whereas NFL is not so there is more opportunity for franchises to expand there business, not just in the UK, but worldwide. Whats more staggering is season calendar in NFL is a lot shorter, where here fans of the premiership are guaranteed 19 home fixtures, and the football league's 23. NFL have less than 10 home games. OK you can't get season tickets in America so your not loosing out there but you can understand the potential rage of some of the fans by having there opportunity to see the team they support cut.

Overall its a great for us fans from the UK, but you can understand the american fans opinion as I wouldn't like it if my soccer team played matches abroad. But from a business point of view it can only be positive as they increasing the infrustructure around the franchise and its a new experience for the team to play a game in Wembley Stadium, which has a bigger capacity then all the NFL stadiums in America. Though I believe the fans must come first, and there will always be more dedicated fans within your home region thats why I wouldn't oppose to it been changed to exhibition games.

Lostprophets - Weapons ( 2012 )

Weapons is the 5th full length release by Welsh Rockers Lostprophets.  Over the course of the past decade have arguably been one of the most successful british rock bands. There sound within recent years has toned down from that of a Nu Metal approach to more of a Anthem Rock feel, there popularity within recent years has dipped ever since the release of "Liberation Transmission," there most successful album to date. Will Weapons bring them back to media attention or seem them plummet further down the scale ?

In quick response the answer is no to both questions. Weapons is not a bad album by any stretch of the imagination but it just feels to safe. It takes their previous album "The Betrayed," Strips it down, releases all the fun elements and this is what you are left with. A very straightforward record with no element of surprise or fun. Whatever happened to the days of "Start Something," and even "Liberation Transmission," both great albums for there own rights. Songs like "Burn Burn," and "Rooftops," which helped capture there fame seem to have been vanished into oblivion. Bands like "Young Guns," in particular are doing what Lostprophets are doing now, but in a much better vein and killer appeal. Lostprophets are much better suited to a heavier and uplifting record and one can only hopes they return to there former glory.

Weapons does have its good moments, especially the single record "If you bring a gun, we will bring an arsenal," which explores what Prophets do best and on paper is one of there heaviest anthems since there more mellow approach. Its catchy with strong melodies and great sing a longs.  On par with the rest of the album this stands out by a mile. On the whole its actually there heaviest record since "Start Something," but they have compromised all the fun elements which made them great. Like mentioned previously its staggering to think that bands which grew up listening and been influenced by Lostprophets such as I mentioned Young Guns, well the tides have turned and it seems like the other way round which in its own way is admirable and a credit to the new wave of british rock.

Returning back to my question, thanks to there huge back catalogue and huge success in past times Lostprophets are a band to stay but will they ever reach the heights of headlining festivals such as Download again. I have my huge doubts. If your a big Lostprophets fan no doubt you will enjoy Weapons. However give me both "Young Guns," and "Kids In Glass Houses," latest releases any day, which can only be a credit and a huge compliment to the british music scene.

Similar Artists: Young Guns, The Blackout, Kids In Glass Houses, Don Broco

5/10

Sonic Boom Six - Self Titled ( 2012 )

Manchester band Sonic Boom Six have returned for there fourth album, They haver never been easy to pin down to genre having taking influence from a variety of music from Bad Brains to The streets. They combine punk Elements with Ska and even reggae. Such is the diversity of the band they have been gaining a cult following throughout the punk and underground scene through there impressive live shows, brilliant music and a political interest in wanting to challenge britain and on the whole uplifting lyrics.

With the release of the self titled album, it is easy to tell that the band has evolved, but for the better I'm not sure. Sonic Boom Six have always been a band a band influenced electronically. However the self titled feels heavily produced, aruably overproduced with the amount of synth and electronic beats. It almost feels like a punk version of Pendulum, and to me just feels against what the band is about. Sonic Boom Six is better suited towards gritty music full of raw aggression, which conflicts better towards the message they are trying to get across both vocally and musically. Im all for bands evolving and challenging themselves but it feels like a step back for those who have been a fan of there previous music. Will this gain them more mainstream attention, its hard to tell though with the amount of crossover acts that are becoming ever increasing with bands combining metal with dub step and other contrasting genres, then you will probably have to say yes.

The thing is the self titled is not a bad album, there are some brilliant moments on the record. "For The Kids Of The Multi-culture," is a great introduction to the album and in Sonic Boom Six fashion contains some really intriguing lyrics and addresses positive points about been a Multi-Cultured country and learning of each other and getting on in society as well as the evolution of times from the past. Musically its a great introduction with great powerful riffs and a great beat to dance your rockers off to.

"Virus," will also be a fan favourite and will really come into its own at live shows. Despite suffering the "single," treatment it is still the strongest song on the record. Lyrically the song is great and inspiring as you would expect by now. The intro is incredible as it starts you off getting pumped into when leila's vocals kickstart. "Virus," is just a great dance rock anthem full of great moments including the breakdown to "we have the virus," just great and clever song writing. They really choose the right song to release as the single and video.

Throughout the album the diversity of the album shines through. a lot of the album has a heavy dub feel   as you would expect though that does not mean they have forgotten about what have made them a great  act in the underground scene. The album contains great heavy moments going with the horns, in typical Ska fashion combining with the electronic beat. The album is not at all repetitive and keeps you guessing after several listens. One can't doubt there creativity and intriguing song patterns.

"Keep On Believing," and "Karma Is A Bitch," are the other highlights on the record, especially "Keep On Believing," which contains great lyrics and one of the most catchiest chorus's. It almost has a Andrew WK vibe towards it, just fun party rock with encouraging lyrics.

Overall the Self Titled is a good record, however I still stand by my original points. If this was a new band the album would score much highly or my first listen to Sonic Boom Six. However having been a fan of the band for years and listened to all there records this is the weakest album. I"m still against the introduction of a more electronic influenced record as it devalues there morales for me though theres no denying its a fun record with its moments that will gain them more mainstream popularity, to Sonic Boom Six fans this album may be a bit like Marmite, you will either love it or hate it. having said that I fall in between. hate the bands direction but as to what they have become its worth acquiring.

Similar Artists : The King Blues, The Skints,  Capdown, Random Hand

7/10

Band Of The Week - Between The Buried And Me

Between The Buried And Me are a progressive metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina who have released 7 albums, including the recently released album The Parallax ll: Future Sequence which I am yet to listen too but can't wait to check it out.  Between The Buried And Me were founded in 2000. The bands nam came from lyrics of the Counting Crows song, " Ghost Train. " The band consist of 5 Members.

Between The Buried And Me have toured the world with many influential bands from the likes of Dream Theatre, Opeth, As I Lay Dying, The Dillinger Escape Plan and other many creditable acts. They have played a whole variety of festivals from Download to Soundwave and have played there own headline tour and are currently sharing the stage on a Co Headline tour with death metal giants Cannibal Corpse.

Between The Buried And Me have a very unique musical style, they have a wide range of musical influence, everything from Metallica to Radiohead and Slayer to Smashing Pumpkins. They primary play a death metal sound with growling vocals however there music consists of plenty of clean singing and experimental synth creating there own unique sound. With very interesting music patterns that don't follow a formula that require several listens for you to fully appreciate and understand the music and the structure of the song. It leaves you guessing which is what is brilliant about there music. Theres times when you think you are listening to a Radiohead or Sonic Youth. Such is there diverse music its truly mesmerising. I don't think theres one genre of music they don't draw influence from. Some describe it as a "clusterfuck," I describe it as beautiful unpredictable music fully of Pink Floyd influenced solos, gut crunching riffs and some amazing bass and drums swell as great synth which all complement each other. These guys are one of the most talented bands on the planet and have an incredible formula as to why they have such a cult following.

Similar Artists : Periphery, Protest The Hero, The Safety Fire, The Dillinger Escape Plan

Top 5 Songs

White Walls - Colours

Selekies, The Endless Obsession - Alaska

Ants Of The Sky - Colours

Swim To The Moon - The Great Misdirection

Mordecai - The Silent Circus 

Albums Rated

Colours - 9.5/10

Alaska - 9/10

The Great Misdirection - 8/10

The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues - 7.5/10

The Silent Circus - 7/10

Self Titled - 6/10

The Parallax II: Future Sequence - N/A

The new album released on October 9th, 2012.

Ryback Ready ?

Instead of reviewing this weeks Raw which once again was average at best, though saved by the usual candidates in CM Punk and Heyman, Team Hell No and thats about it, even Vince was below par. The most conversional moment of the night was when it was announced Ryback was to face CM Punk at Hell in A Cell. We all know the real reason to this is that John Cena is injured and is thankfully having time off, as much as I dislike the guy his commitment can not be faulted and he is in need of a long break to rest up and come back stronger.Whether this will actually happen I have my doubts as anything seems possible with the WWE so expect him to be involved in the match somehow whether it was special guest referee or even be involved to make it a triple threat, even if the later happened I would be in no shock.

The main talking point is that why Ryback ? a guy who only debuted back in April time, formally know as Skip Sheffield has been thrown into the title picture. Why not guys like Dolph Ziggler or cody Rhodes who are more established superstars who have more credibility and deserve a chance to prove there main event quality, Yes I know there both heel's like punk though especially Dolph, I can see him turning face quite soon and would have made a more interesting storyline what with him holding the smackdown money in the bank briefcase. But no they choose a guy who has only been involved in squash matches for the past months, and his biggest credibility is that he beat The Miz, a guy who has been on a backdown spiral for the past year and a half since loosing his title at Extreme Rules. Ryback's longest match is 5 minutes and has a very limited move set, so how are they expecting him all of a sudden to put on a 30 minute match on one of the biggest stages of them all, Hell In A Cell with the title up for grabs, theres a lot of risk involved though at the same time I do applaud the WWE to take such a gamble though they are in a bit of a pickle. Its pretty clear that Punk is going to retain the title though at the same time they need to keep Ryback creditable and keep up his undefeated streak so expect a very screwy ending once again from maybe interference from Brock Lesnor or Punk escaping the arena with the title.

Should they have used Ryback ? no but you can't deny the guy is over with the crowd and the chant of "feed me more," rock arenas. Though if your going to build stars maybe its the way to go and Ryback does have potential star credibility just I think its a gamble and its good to have a different match up though we all know where its going, punk will retain the title and set up Lesnor / Punk / Heyman vs Cena / Ryback / Vince at Survivor Series.

The Walking Dead (Season 3 Episode 1) Review

The Walking Dead finally returned to our screens this week for the much anticipated third season. Season two left off with the barn been over run with walkers which led for the gang to flea, not without its share of casualties and drama. With Andrea getting separated from the group, only to be saved by a mysterious character.  With the group in Harmony Rick Grimes ( Andrew Lincoln ) gave hints of a more serious and intense side to his character by suggesting the group does things his way and his way only, instead of previously been about compromise. Almost like he has evolved into Shane or feels guilt or reasoning as to why he should be a more serious group leader.

Episode three started of with the group going from house to house looking for a safe place to find shelter whilst out the same time looking for valuable resources such as food and water. The way the opening scenes were played without dialogue was a great way to start the season suggesting the amount of unease and anarchy within the group and the constant struggle they are in just to survive, whilst at the same time they are having to look after Lori Grimes ( Sarah Wayne Callies ) . Whom is expecting a baby, with the climax of who's the father and the suggestion of whether the baby will be infected.

The Group then come across a prison, that was overrun with walkers however the potential for finding a good base to set up camp led for them taking the walkers out and locking themselves within the grounds. They then spent the night suggesting ideas in which they could proceed with to make the best of the situation. This scene was a great example of how Rick is showing more and more authority and looking into the long term plan. He basically shut down the ideas such as digging a trench for the water to process within the prison boundaries, for then tell the group to go to sleep as we have a big day tomorrow. What he was suggesting was they search inside the prison for any useful resources such as ammo, food and improved shelter and safer conditions which he was right in a way. The rest of the group wanted to take rest for a couple of days displaying the divide in mentality, though Rick is right and demonstrating his leading attributes, by always looking to take advantage of the situations.

Not forgetting Andrea ( Laurie Holdon ) who has been separated by the group. You are introduced to the new character who still remains a bit of a unknown quality but her identity is revealed and you can tell she is a strong hearted warrior as she demonstrated her combat skills as she used her sword as she slated walkers for fun as she went in search of Aspirin. Whilst at the same time you can tell she cares as she went out of her way to care and show sympathy towards Andrea. Her name is not yet revealed, if you have only been watching the TV series and it will be intriguing to find out more about he within future episodes and watch the jigsaw pieces fall in place to reveal her storyline.

Evolution of some of the characters is also evident as Carl ( Rick and Lori son ) shows evident of a more strong willed character as he no longer fears to kill with a gun in his hand ,  ever since he shot down Shane his courage has increased and he seems more obedient and respects the situation, even though at times he does come across as annoying to the viewers and a character in constant possession of getting his own way, we are introduced more to one of Hershal's daughters Patricia and theres signs to suggest a romance angle with Carl growing ever more fond of her, also backing up evidence of him growing up. Friction also seems to develop between Lori and Rick as Rick begins to ignore her. Which to me shows signs of him treating the group all the same and is only concern is survival and is trying to deny the fact of the baby, maybe he is starting to regret the idea of convincing Lori to keep the baby.

The Group then proceed into the prison with some good battles along the way, with walkers dressed in full riot uniform providing an exciting battle. To there surprise the prison is pretty deserted inside. There  is also evidence of some group coming within the foundries before as they find a Walker which had been killed from shot wounds which looked recent. In the hope of trying to secure the facilities some of the group get overrun with walkers which leads them to retreat and get separated from the rest. Unfortunately then Hershel gets bitten by a walker on the floor in the leg. Which leads the group to act quickly where Rick shows his great decision making skills in the heat of the moment where he releases Hershel's only chance of survival is to chop of the leg where if that was not a great moment to end the episode on a cliffhanger we are also given a quick shot to survivors taking shelter within the prison. You are left with two questions remaining in your head, will Hershel survive ? and who are the survivors ? just demonstrated why The Walking Dead is one of the best things on TV in terms of drama and action.

Overall it was a fantastic introduction to the third season with more questions than answers. There was a perfect blend of action and cheater development and was great for them to encounter a new environment than the barn. The dark compact imbounded setting of the prison is a complete contrast to the freedom and beautiful setting off the Barn and farmhouse so it will be interesting to see how the group react to there new setting and with the introduction of new characters theres a whole lot of the dynamics which are going to be affected. The Walking Dead has kicked off in amazing fashion and I can't wait to feed on some more literally next week.

9/10

Gallows - Sheffield Corporation ( 12/10/12 )

Gallows

+ Feed The Rhino

+ Brotherhood Of The Lake

Sheffield Corporation ( 12/10/12 )

Having seen Gallows plenty of times in the past, I believe this will be my 11th experience. However this was different as it was the first time I was going to witness a headline show with the new vocalist 

(Wade Mcneil) formally of the post hardcore outfit Alexisofire. Whom is taking over duties from previous Frontman (Frank Carter) who has decided to take up a new musical direction with the heavily Gaslight Anthem influenced band Pure Love who have there debut album hitting stores soon. However the jury is still out there as it dosent feel right to have a Canadian the frontman heading a band with songs such as "London is the Reason," and to many Gallows is Frank Carter and will take sometime adjusting, however after a really good first album and a change in lyrical direction do they still have it on stage, as there reputation really grow as an incredible live act with Frank at the helm.

The opening band was Brotherhood Of The Lake, the hardcore hitters who are growing an ever increasing reputation within the scene. However it was obvious the venue was to big to be able to fully appreciate there live show. There a band to be seen crammed into a little sweatbox with no barriers with plenty of interaction between the crowd and band. By this time the venue was rather empty and people were reluctant to stand right at front, which was by no fault of the band. They played a good set with some great moments, it was just a shame the crowd were not really up for it by this point. However its great exposure for Brothehood Of The Lake and they will be back. 6/10

Feed The Rhino are a fairly more common band in the circle, the venue gradually started to gets busier, however by no means was a packed out show. Feed The Rhino struggled with similar issues as Brotherhood Of The Lake with a lacklustre crowd which was a surprise. It seemed as if most only came for Gallows. There was a little more movement with a minority of the crowd singing along. There stage presence was a lot more comfortable than Brotherhood. Most likely due to having a lot more experience playing big events such as Hevy Festival and Download. Musically they demonstrated glimpses, why many suggest why they one of the best british live bands . Though it just felt the crowd was not into it which deduced the atmosphere around the venue whilst the band was on. 7/10

Whilst I was looking forward to Gallows, the question that kept entering my head was one of would the crowd pick up, and my answer to that was yes. As soon as the band came on and opened up with "Misery" there was plenty of movement within the crowd. The place was by no means full but was a good attendance on show. Gallows played a great selection of songs from both there old material and new stuff, which sounded even better live. Though it was the classics such as "London Is The Reason" and "Death Voices," which really pumped up the crowd. Vocally Wade is great and is on par with Frank, though for stage presence and that whole vive of attitude and unpredictability Frank Carter is a true font man and is Mr Gallows, and I don't think it will ever ben the same whilst with Wade, Gallows are still a brilliant live act. Nothing still beats the intro to "In The Belly Of The Shark," which is still a crowd favourite. And to put this icing on the cake a great finale by playing both "Abandon Ship" and "Orchestra Of Wolves," for the encore which left the crowd with not much left apart from to just smile at what they just witnessed. 8/10

Overall Gallows are still Gallows, a truly great live act and one not to be missed, the new songs sound huge though I think you know where I am going with this. In perception Frank Carter is to Gallows, what Freddie Mercury was to Queen though transfer that to the hardcore scene. For me he is irreplacable though hate of to Wade, whom is truly doing a very respectable job. 

Band Of The Week - Stick To Your Guns

In conclusion to new feature of App Of The Week, I decided to start something new which will be Band of the Week. Where I will feature a band who has go my attention within the week and introduce them to the viewers, of cause many of you will be aware of them. However I will rank there songs and Albums into order, whilst I'm sure many of you will disagree feel free to voice your opinions.

Stick To Your Guns are American Hardcare band all the way from California,  They have released 5 albums and formed in 2003. They have been touring all over the world and have supported many big bands from the likes of Caliban, The Acacia Strain, Your Demise and As Blood Runs Black. They are currently about to venture out to Europe to play on the impressive looking Never Say Die tour sponsored by Impericon with Post Hardcore / Metalcore giants such as Bless The Fall and We Came As Romans.

Stick To Your Guns music blends melody, intensity catchy chorus's and great riffs. With a positive lyrical vibe about unity as a nation. they cater for fans of variable genres from the Hardcore Kids to Punk Rockers. Noted influences come from Comeback Kid, Throwdown, Ignite and Rise Against. Stick To Your Guns are touring giants and there shows are something not to be missed, they are incredibly committed and treat every show as there last and really respect there fan base and roots. They played a fans memorial after he died of a brain tumour just demonstrating there desire and passion both towards the music scene and there fan base.

Similar Artists - Comeback Kid, Your Demise, Throwdown, Stray From The Path

Albums Ranking

1 The Hope Division  9/10

2 Comes From The Heart  8/10

3 Diamond  7.5/10

4 For What Its Worth 6.5/10

5 Compassion And Compromise  6/10

Top 5 Singles

1 Amber - The Hope Division

2 Against Them All - Diamond

3 Where The Sun Never Sleeps - The Hope Division

4 We're What Separates The Heart From The Heartless - Comes From The Heart

5 We Still Believe - Diamond

Who Wants To Be A Pilkington - App Of The Week

Everyone knows Karl Pilkington, the loveable chimp like orange shaped head idiot. There are plenty of words to describe Karl, however with a doubt is one of the funniest guys on the planet, whether its intentional or not I don't know, nor frankly care as whatever the guy touches is pure gold ever from the podcasts up to his latest work in Derek and Idiot Abroad.

Now he even has a App dedicated to him, its based on the popular show "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," instead of answering questions about general knowledge. You answer questions about Karl and his many outrageous quotes and questions about his time on both Idiot Abroad and his Podcasts, granted if you have only watch the cult TV serious you will really struggle however even if you don't know the answer, the questions alone make you laugh. For theses of you who are obsessed with the guys brilliance you will love it. There are around 500 questions to answer so there is a variety, though be aware and expect some questions to repeat after a few goes put the game is not really based around the hours of playtime.Its just great to play when you are on break at work or when your just chilling down for a few laughs and to test your knowledge.

There is a few entertaining twists such as instead of the "phone a friend" and "ask the audience" options you receive on the TV quiz show. In a comical approach you know receive the option to "ask some monkeys" and "phone Susanna" which is just a simple but entertaining feature which helps the atmosphere of the game. As well, there is a little orange beside each answer symbolising how Ricky Gervais describes the shape of his head. There is also the option to upload your scores onto Facebook to compare your knowledge of Karl with your friends.

Overall it is a really enjoyable game full of humour, there maybe difficult questions for those who are not as familiar but the best part its free and will provide you with plenty of laughs. Its a good app and well worth a few plays to see if you can score a million.

7/10 

WWE Raw Review ( 08 / 10 / 12 )

When ratings are at a low from the previous week , what better way then to have Vince McMahon address the WWE audience,  when I say address he was interrupted by the WWE champion CM punk, with the company of Paul Heyman within minutes. Both punk and Vince delivered a excellent promo about respect and facing John Cena at Hell in a Cell. Both speeches included valid points though you you can't help but feel for Punk. I know he's a heel and is supposed to come across as a douchebag but he makes great reasons as to why he should not face Cena at Hell in the Cell. Punk has defeated Cena many times for the championship in the past and its time to give someone else a crack, however Cena is one of the most respectable former champions and to be the best you have to beat the best. This resulted  in Punk slapping Vince in the face. Elements of the famous feud between Stone Cold and Vince were on show and references were made towards that heated battle. You can't help but feel there teasing a Punk Stone Cold match in the future with the many references to Austin within recent weeks. It was a great shock to the viewers to then watch Vince challenge Punk to a match later on that night, something no one saw coming and gained massive cheers in the Sacramento crowd. Thus was an excellent segment on Raw and would of dramatically boosted ratings, If it was not for Monday Night Football i'm sure there wouldn't be as much concern.

Before this main segment Raw kicked off with MR poster boy John Cena, nothing really evolved from his promo in terms of storyline, it was just a segment to keep the crowd happy as he is currently injured. He did his usual talk about how he misses the crowd and some terrible impressions of Team Hell No that was embarrassing to anyone other the age of 12 though the kiddos love it. Brodus Clay then took the stage for a supposed match with R-Truth though they ended up dancing. Both guys are very talented though there gimmicks are simply awful, I'm all for humour within wrestling but when you have a guy who could be built like a pure monster, instead he's dancing around like Barney the dinosaur, and then you have a guy who has an invisible friend, you'd think you was watching Japanese wrestling.  Thankfully it was interrupted by the great Vince Mcmahon which truly kicked of things and led to the great CM punk Vince debate.

There was also some wrestling in between, the tag team division is truly evolved within recent weeks and there was 2 more matches in the tournament to be held which was Rey and Sin Cara vs The Prime time Players. I have begun to really take to the Prime Time Players and believe they have a great future ahead of them, however as predictable as WWE can be you can guess who won. The 2 masked cretins how are fan favourites for there high flying approach but do nothing for me, its inevitable there building up to Wrestlemania where Rey will pass on the touch, the match was OK but just too predictable with the same finish we have seen for weeks. The other tag match was the Rhodes Scholars, which consists of the team of Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow vs the underdogs of Zack Ryder and Santino Marrela. Was good to see the Rhodes Scholars win but was not the best of tag matches I have ever witnessed. Santino and Ryder provided us with there usual goofiness in the ring which is a shame as both, especially Santino are talented wrestlers and can put on good matches. However I am a big fan on Sandow so happy to see them getting pushed to the next round.

I like The Miz but he's been pretty bad since returning from shooting a movie, what with this whole talk show gimmick he seems to have at the moment. He was pretty poor again tonight in an awful segment involving Larry King,  I had no idea who he is but went along with it. The promo also included Kofi Kingston. Even though Miz is one of the best on the mic it was a poorly executed promo, but there is potential to build a feud with Kofi Kingston which would be welcomed.

Ryback continues to do what he has been doing for every week now it seems, fair play to him though as he has got himself over with the crowd. I am still not convinced by him and he needs a lengthly match with someone on the upper card instead of facing 2 jobbers for what seems like the 100th time. I think a heel turn would really suit him and joining Punk and Heymans stable. Ryback also continues to hunt down the WWE Champion and gets you thinking if Cena can't make the match at Hell in a Cell then punk will face Ryback but i think its too soon for that to happen.

Team Hell No continue to entertain, and in Daniel Bryan, aside from Cena you have one of the most over guys in wrestling right now.  His anger management partnership with Kane has been brilliant and there unorthodox procedure of winning matches has been greatly entertaining. The two have brilliant chemistry between each other  and every time they shout "Im the Tag Team Chapions." you can't help but smile. Easily the best night of the match was when they took on Ziggler and Del Rio which again Team Hell No one in comedic fashion.

Big Show and Sheamus continue to build upon there rivalry when Sheamus battled Wade Barrett in and entertaining battle, until Big Show and Tensai for some unknown reason interrupted. I just feel they  do this too often to build up storylines. I was enjoying the match until the interruption and left a bit of a downer on things. Its good to see Wade back and he's a main evener in the making. There was a also a Diva match, that enough mentioned on that.

The storyline between Punk and Vince continued to develop throughout the night with backstage segments with JR trying to convince Vince to backdown. Same with Heyman to Punk as he believed it was a bad idea for the long run. The match was entertaining with a few good spots such as vince charging headfirst after punk over the announcers table. If anything it felt like vince was trying to hog the limelight a little and he came of better overall in the match, which is not a good advert for your WWE champion against a opponent of much greater age. There was also the use of Kendo sticks and was more like a brawl. Ryback interrupted the match in great fashion as he hunted down his next victim  while Punk was about to GTS Vince. You can't deny how over the guy is which led to a brawl inside the ring thanks to the assistance of Cena. In typical heel fashion Punk manages to escape the ring from the clutches of Ryback to which Vince announces a pipe bomb of his own by announcing punk will either fight Cena or Ryback at Wrestlemania.

Overall it was a good Raw, much better than previous weeks, however unfortunately the spotlight is going to be stolen by the fact CM Punk was accused of hitting out at a fan, which could lead to major discipline. Hopefully not as the storyline has really picked up within recent weeks and CM Punk is playing a blinder of a character, but you can't do what he did though I understand he needed to protect himself and the security should have done better. Expect to see a new champion at Hell in a Cell which will be a shame as Punk needs to be the one who defends to make WWE in general even slightly interesting.

7/10

Patent Pending - Second Family (2011)

Patent Pending are a pop punk band from Long Island, New York. Lets put this in simple terms are a bit of an unknown quantity, its hard to understand why as Pop Punk seems to be as popular as ever, with the new generation of bands such as The Story So Far and Man Overboard taking over the reigns from New Found glory and co. Would I label Patent Pending with these guys ? probably not as Patent Pending judging by the release of  there latest album "Second Family," are a lot more diverse with elements of acoustic and Ska added in to the mix. Id associate them more with experimental bands such as Say Anything for playing pop punk influenced music with diversity and elements of surprise. However theres also a strong influence lyrically from Bowling For Soup for the humour and quirkiness, combined with strong melodies from Less Than Jake.

Its surprising how long Patent Pending have been going for, "Second Family" is there second full length release, however they have a huge back catalogue full of EP's so there certainly not a new band, "Second Family" will be the album that really kickstarts things for the five-some, as well as there european tour with Bowling For Soup. "Second Family" is a heart warming album with a very fun and positive vibe. The idea for the album title came from the many fans who donated money for the record to even happen, so in a way its a record to thank the fans and I can't think of a better title.

I credit Patent Pending for one of the most diverse pop punk records, however I can't escape the fact that some of the most pure pop punk tracks on the record are my highlights such as “I Already Know (She Don’t Give A S*** About Me),” and “Memory.” The whole album has plenty of memorable moments with great sing along chorus's and toe tapping beats. The ska tracks on the record also really stand out as a band just having a lot of fun doing what they do.

Without a doubt "Douchebag," is one of the best tracks on the record. Its a song which everyone should be able to relate too, as everyone knows someone who this song describes. It can't help you smile, that no matter what you do or how you try to impress you will always be a douchebag. Guaranteed this will get the cord going most at shows and shore to be an encore song.

"Second Family," is a great album from these talented pop punks. It has everything you'd expect from catchy vocals to a light hearted vibe  and overall great songwriting. You can tell the band had a lot of fun writing the album and so should you listening. A definite recommend to any pop punk lover.

Similar Artists : Bowling for Soup, Less Than Jake, Say Anything, The Starting Line

8/10

Secret Weapon 7 Reveals Secrecy ?

For any of you that follow Alton Towers or part of the enthusiast community will be very aware that Alton Towers are planning something new and very exciting for 2013. In fact a worlds first rollercoaster. The plans have been up for a very long time and speculation had increased. As you can see from some of the plans below the ride will contain many inversions and evidence from the design is the cars will duel with each other, due to there been 2 lift hills if provides enough evidence from the layout that the cars will be in sync with each other at time of the first drop, a new and exciting element.  The ride seems to be the same make as the company who did saw at Thorpe Park by suggestions of the plans.Here are the plans below.

As you can see, there is a pretty big building which includes the station. well it appears that this will not be the end of the ride as your in for more surprises and thrills in the building. The secrecy has been revealed and it looks like the Towers are going for the worlds coaster with most inversions. I believe there is 8 inversions on the outside so the ride will still have a way to go to beat the record. However in a unique element the ride will contain a revolving  line twist with many effects. Its not been mentioned how many times you will flip inside but the suggestion of 6 has been rumoured, which would shatter the world record. If that was not all Alton Towers plan to have a unique feature in the shop where you can view the rides secret element through a glass floor which could add for some amazing view of the ride and the riders.

Open in March 2013 it looks like Alton Towers potentially have a brilliant rollercoaster on its hand with some surprises, for the casuals who have not found out about whats hidden within. The ride will feature an incredible amount of inversions, drops, a vertical lift and the element of duelling. 2013 can't come soon enough and i will be there as soon as possible.

You can follow the construction process of the ride on many sites such as Towerstime and coasterforce.

Feed The Rhino - The Burning Son (2012)

Feed The Rhino have returned for there highly anticipated second album entitled The Burning Son. All musicians are aware of that dreaded second album. mentally one of the hardest accomplishments to achieve after a highly received first album. So many artists fall into obscurity after there first album, the question is will Feed The rhino ? not by a long way, The Burning Son is pretty much them continuing on from there impressive debut "Mr Red Eye," and basically stamping on it with authority and releasing a killer record full of what Feed The Rhino do best, utter carnage.

One of the most exciting live bands in the UK who put on one hell of a show and guaranteed to leave you sweating by the end and without a voice. If you have not seen Feed The Rhino live then firstly where have you been and secondly get to there tour with Gallows and Brotherhood Of The lake and experience the brutality for yourself. The Burning Son feels like it is an album written to be played live, the pure intensity in the vocals and crunching guitar squeels will have the crowds going wild. Of cause there is also a more mellow sound to Feed The rhino with beautifully thought out tracks. Not just settling for exceeding everyones expectations they have also matured so much as a bunch of musicians. There is a lot more aggression, guts and its a lot more brutal. Whilst at the same time they have evolved as a group of very talented musicians and improved there song written skills.

 I struggle to pick out any songs, there all full ferocious with excellent work from the carnage of the drums to excellent guitar work and jaw dropping riffs. You can sense the Every Time I Die influence, not like thats ever a bad thing. Like previously mentioned they can tone it down and play softer whilst at the same time not loosing any impact nor aggression in the vocals. Feed The Rhino are on utter fire and there stock will rise without any doubt with some great tours coming up expect really big things and I shouldn't need you to check out the album, just do it its masterful. A review of there live show will be coming very soon swell as Gallows and Brotherhood Of Lake.

Similar Artists : Every Time I Die, Maylene And The Sons Of Disaster, Gallows

8/10

Top 10 Football Stadiums in England I Have Visited

Granted this is going by my own personal experience and I have not visited all the football grounds in England. Been a Derby County fan i have travelled with my team all around the UK in both the Premiership and the Championship and have visited both some really impressive grounds and some absolute turd. To me its not just about the architecture of a Stadium and how big it is. Its attributes such as Atmosphere, The infrustructure around the ground and the view. Granted a lot of my opinions will be from the away ends of grounds. Im sure ill upset a few but hey, here go's,

1  City Of Manchester Stadium - Manchester City

One of the best looking stadiums in the country and I just love the way the roof curves and the spiral walkways. You are provided with a great view and good leg space and the atmosphere is electric, whilst not everyone will agree it is my favourite stadium I have visited.

 2. Wembley - National Football Stadium

                                

Whilst it is the most expensive stadium on the planet and the arch and the attractable roof are really impressive, yes you are provided with amazing views especially in the top tear but it can feel uneasy and it takes time to adjust cause your that high up. Reasons Wembley didn't come 1st is because of how expensive it is and it does not feel like a football stadium when your in the concours, more like your at a airport and the acoustics are not that impressive. 

3  St James Park - Newcastle United

One of the most passionate and loudest crowds I have been to plus plenty of good banter. Its a fairly unique stadium, it looks more like a baseball ground though the view from the away end is incredible if from the corner of the ground, will take you by surprise when you first go to your seat.

4  Old Trafford - Manchester United

Yes its a big stadium but per head has to be one of the quietest ground I have been to, the only reason it is ranked quite high because of the legend it contains and how many great players have played on the pitch plus some incredible matches, it has also been the cool thing to say I have been to Old Trafford, probably been more than 50 % of the so called Manchester United fans.

5  Villa Park  -  Aston Villa

Villa park is a good little stadium, well small compared to the others on the list, it feels like a proper footballing ground, if its not the most modern. It does nothing fancy though has great atmosphere though the away fans are placed in a shocking position but apart from that I have enjoyed my visits here.

6  Emirates  - Arsenal

Whilst Emirates aesthetically looks great, to me I just felt it lacked character compared to Highbury which was Arsenal's previous homes, it is also rather quiet with little leg room I found. Its just too fancy for my liking much like Wembley down the road with high class restaurants and is the most expensive stadium to buy a season ticket for. Just an example of how modernised the game is, though it is beautiful to look at, its like dating a hot girl with no personality.

7  Stadium Of Light - Sunderland

Much like St James Park up the road, The Stadium Of The Light has one of the best atmospheres I have ever been too, and is a great looking stadium. Though it is plonked in horrible surroundings. Inside you get a good view and is overall a great stadium.

8  Anfield - Liverpool

One of the most overated atmospheres, quite frankly can't stand Liverpool fans and there stadium is not much better to look at, much like Old Trafford its the vibe that surrounds the place and the history that surrounds Liverpool, if it wasn't that it would be way down the list

9  Reebok Stadium - Bolton

Such a unique and interesting stadium, you can get some sensational views and is a pretty decent atmosphere, if this was the home of a bigger team it would score higher but its Bolton, you get no brownie points for visiting the Reebok Stadium. The architecture is really impressive though especially in the top tier it is really steep and takes time to adjust to your surroundings, though overall cracking stadium.

10  Hillsborough 

Will always have a place in my heart as one of the first grounds I went to when I was younger been from near the area and is just a classic traditional football ground which has an incredible amount of history, both good and bad. You also can't beat the catering facilities and its a good atmosphere, its a shame a lot of teams are getting new grounds with no personality at all.

Contraband Review (2012)

Contraband may seem like your average joe action drama film, and in terms of the plot outline it is, The story in brief is Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) must protect his brother in law (Caleb Landry Jones) who has got himself into a mess in the smuggling business and couldn't deliver a job. Now Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi) A drug dealer who demands restitution of which he cant deliver. Which leads Chris, who is a former drug dealer himself and has done jobs for Briggs to put his family first and do whatever he can to protect them by returning to his old roots in the attempt to bring back counterfeit money by ship from the regions of Panama, Of which Briggs starts to terrorise Chris's family including his wife Kate Farraday (Kate beckinsale) and his young daughter.

Whilst this may seem like you standard action cliched film, and in a way it is however compared to a lot of other films it is done very well with plenty of twists and turns along the way. Its not one of those films where you can predict what will happen next and in every scene the story takes development, even until the very end your still left with unexplained questions. its a surprisingly interesting concept and take on the modern action drama films. There's some good action sequences to compliment the story as well to go along with the interesting story to keep a range of people happy. Its not a film where you can turn yourself off, or you will find yourself lost in the dynamic evolving story therefore chances are you won't enjoy it. You can't coast your self to the end, which I don't think you will be as there is enough to keep even the causals entertained.

The movie proceeds at a very good pace and the twists and turns really help with this. During the smuggling scenes disaster after disaster happens and your left just wondering what will happen next to potentially jeopardise the mission, and just thinking how the hell is he going to achieve his goal, and believe me Chris has to do it the very long way round, whilst at the same time the story develops that some of the characters have other sides to them and there is plenty of backstabbing happening which leads Chris having to perform another job during the middle of his intended job. though the truth does come out.

Whilst not the most original story, it is a very fun and intriguing film that will have you guessing to the end. There are parts of the film which are a little dull but there are also plenty of surprises. Don't get me wrong its not a perfect film, but is certainly enjoyable with great performances from the cast, especially Briggs ( Giovanni Ribisi) who created your standard dealer, but added his own personality.  Chris Farraday ( Mark Wahlberg ) was played great in his role and is one of the best actors around so was not much surprise. Overall though I'd recommend giving Contraband a try, it won't be for anyone but for those who take it for what it is, well get the most out of it.

7/10