Yes I'm alive and well and things have been great.
The Knitting Factory gig was pretty good, we had a bigger turn out than the other bands after us and we were definitely one of the most polished even though the other bands have been around for a while (we've only been around for a few months, with me as a member for only a month at that time and our new vocalist Jon being a member for only a week and a half). Jon learned all the songs within a week and a half and had the courage to do it in front of a live group so awesome respect to him.
As for music review news, there's three albums by musicians I listen to that I feel like writing about if just for the record and get some practice in.
Megadeth - Endgame
Dave Mustaine is back with the fastest most aggressive Megadeth album to date, but did it all come together? At 48, Dave Mustaine is still pushing his band to the limit. After Glen Drover left and was replaced by Chris Broderick as the lead guitarist, Megadeth fans are pleased to hear a replacement that can do Marty's solos justice. The tracks range from blazingly shredtastic to a slow ballad, and yet while they aren't as accessible as Countdown to Extinction or as notable as Rust In Peace, Mustaine proves he can still thrash hard as ever. I did have a few problems with the album. Broderick's solos are a bit too random to be memorable and Mustaine doesn't seem to have the ability to go another album without mentioning the phrase 'new world order' a few times.
Rating: I haven't come up with a system (recommend something!) but it's worth a listen for anyone who likes the metal. While it's not the end-all of Megadeth albums ever it's certainly one of the best ones.
Steve Vai - Where The Wild Things Are
Steve Vai proves he's just as fast and talented as he ever was with Where the Wild Things Are. With some new material after 4 years, on a live album no-less, Vai stays relevant as ever as one of "the" guitar virtuosos of this era. Combining his exceedingly unique and insane playing with his flair for showmanship, he pulls off a great performance that the CD version only captures half of (the CD has 15 tracks out of the 27 on the DVD). Vai's composition is increasingly catchy yet progressive enough to capture the attention of anyone from an appreciator of music to the most defiantly elitist guitar player. He is joined by Alex DePue (violin), Ann Marie Calhoun (violin), Bryan Beller
(bass), Jeremy Colson (drums), Dave Weiner
(guitar and sitar) and Zack Wiesinger (lap steel).
Rating: While Vai has appealed to people outside of guitarists and musicians, his music is too unconventional to appeal to most people. I'd recommend it only to those who think "music died and it isn't original anymore" and of course other guitar players. If you're a Vai fan pick up the DVD version as it's much more complete and well worth the price.
Dethklok - Dethalbum II
Brendon Small is back with another album by his cartoon band, Dethklok, the main characters on the show Metalocalypse. After a grueling season 2 with a lot of criticism after the solid first season, Small does do the music justice but it still suffers the same problems that the show did in the second season. The music is faster, heavier, and more 'brutal' than the music from the first album, but it suffers some major problems. It lacks a lot of humor, catchiness, and memorable moments that the first album/first season had. I know it's unfair for the fans and community to expect the music and show to be as great in the second season since Small had a lot of time to work on making the first so great while the second was rushed to appeal to the impatient fans who were itching for more. Never the less if you're a fan of the show or the music give it a go, though you might be disappointed, or glad that the music has taken a more serious approach. The Deluxe version has bonus music videos of the songs used on the 2008 tour.
Rating: Definitely nowhere as good as the first but still worth a few listens for fans of the music and/or show.
I'm fairly repetitive in my word choice because I don't write at all. Still, feel free to say otherwise about my writing or the music. Thanks!
