Lamb of God || Resolution

Lamb of God
Resolution
Label: Epic Records
Released on: Jan 24th, 2012
Grade: 5 out of 5 meatballs
Reviewed by: Pawl Schwartz

All hail the new kings of speed metal. I can’t believe that it has taken this long, but truly, Lamb of God is the only band that is worthy to step up to the big four and take a throne. Just take one listen to "Vigil," a live track thrown in among studio recordings (a touch that I love). It lets you know that Lamb of God is serious enough about the creation of an album that they have listened to every possible take of every song and chosen the best, even if it wasn’t recorded under ideal conditions.

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Gonjasufi || MU.ZZ.LE

Gonjasufi

MU.ZZ.LE

Label: Warp Records

Released on: January 24th, 2012

Grade: 4 out of 5 meatballs

Reviewed by: Pawl Schwartz

It's like a young Tom Waits heard trip-hop and decided that not only was it too fast, it also had no soul, and both of those things needed to be corrected. Of course, the instrumentation in Gonjasufi extends beyond the normal trip-hop pallette (this, besides his vocals, is where most of Gonjasufi's sonic identity lies), but I swear, for a pallette that I couldn't pin down on the first album, Sumach Ecks seems to be able to duplicate it quite well on MU.ZZ.LE. Good thing? Depends on what kind of music listener you are. I mean, it's certainly better than producing a shitty album, but playing it safe like this is just so... unbecoming of an artist as out there as Gonjasufi is. His sound pulls outward at the edges, just itching to expand.

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The Big Pink || Future This

The Big Pink
Future This
Label: 4AD Records
Released on: January 16th, 2012
Grade: 5.5 out of 5 meatballs
Reviewed by: Neil Miller, Jr.

This is an album I feel like I’ve waited eons for. After the instantly enrapturing Brief History of Love album, I thought it would be impossible for The Big Pink to top themselves. Then I saw them live at the Metro and witnessed a whole other dimension to this spectacular assembly of talent. It was then that they became one of my favorite bands of all time, and my hopes for their future output grew a thousand fold. So, now that I’ve been soaking up their new album, Future This, for the past month or so, I’m ready to tell you exactly how I feel about it. If you can’t tell from the outrageous rating I gave this record, I absolutely am head over heels in love with it — and I’ll tell you why.

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The Devil Inside

The Devil Inside
Directed by: William Brent Bell
Released on: January 6th, 2012
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 meatballs
Reviewed by: Neil Miller, Jr.

Wow. I never in a million years thought I could appreciate a documentary-style horror film as much as horror films of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. When I initially saw the trailer for The Devil Inside in the sequence of trailers prior to the latest Paranormal Activity film, I knew this would be one to keep an eye on. But at the same time, I also know that trailers are designed to shock and awe — otherwise, what else is there to make you want to see a film? I always go into a new movie with a purely skeptical mind. It takes a lot to win me over, especially if the film in question is of the horror genre. I can honestly say that from the time I sat down in the theater seat to the moment the credits rolled, I was 100% enthralled with the progression of this movie. What made this movie so tantalizing that I couldn’t even bring myself to look away for one minute?

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Amy Winehouse || Lioness: Hidden Treasures

Amy Winehouse
Lioness: Hidden Treasures
Label: Island/Lioness Records
Released on: December 6th, 2011
Grade: 5 out of 5 meatballs
Reviewed by: Lindsey Shaw

When I heard the news of Amy Winehouse passing away from an overdose, I was devastated as any legitimate fan would be. I found myself hiccup crying as if a friend from middle school had been taken too soon. My mom was visiting that weekend and consoled me, knowing how much I loved the artist and incomparable voice that was Winehouse. Sniffling and YouTubing my favorite songs by Amy, I took a mental back step thinking, “Why am I this thrown by the death of a famous person I never really knew?” The answer was simple. I was shedding tears in mourning a girl who spoke to me through lyrics, allowing me to draw a parallel between her heartaches and my own. 

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The Birthday Massacre @ House of Blues

The Birthday Massacre
Where: House of Blues
When: December 18, 2011
Grade: 4.5 out of 5 meatballs
Reviewed and photographed by: Neil Miller, Jr.

The Birthday Massacre may get paired up with some surprising acts on the road — as was the case with Dir en Grey this time around — but they have carved out their own niche musically for long enough now that they have their own faithful following. This is always evident when they hit up Chicago where no matter who they may be performing with, they’ll always have a crowd of their own fans.  This past Sunday at the House of Blues was no different, finding people dressed up in Birthday Massacre t-shirts, adorned with their bunny logo, or there’s even the plain Jane fan like me who’s fine with fist pumping along with their set. Whatever the case, The Birthday Massacre have earned their fanbase through years of consistently solid recordings and relentless touring.

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