Some music from 2019 I've listened to

The year of parody

2019 was the year of parody for me. The biggest surprise came out of nowhere in the middle of the summer, when Nanowar of Steel struck gold with what I consider to be the video of the year:



At this point it has over 4 million views, which is something like 10 times more than anything from the band's videography. It is the most blasphemous thing I've seen, providing black metal with the parody it needed. The lyrics are funny, the metal riffs outstanding in what is otherwise a mostly pop song. I've even seen people that I'm sure don't get all of the black metal references, sharing it or laughing at it.

This inspired me to pay a closer look to Nanowar's album that I've enjoyed listening to last year, and found that they've generously released a lyric video for probably every song. And even though they are just lyric videos, they are terribly amusing, making me enjoy such gems as Ironmonger (The Copier of the Seven Keys), The Quest for Carrefour and Barbie MILF Princess of the Twilight even more.

Second place goes to another parody video:



Sounds awesome, and once I've searched for all the memes it references I realised what a culturally significant piece of art it really is. For me it opened up the wonderful world of squatting slavs in tracksuits, a meme that I had only heard of, not realising how rich it actually is.

Also this year saw the release of Gloryhammer's album Legends from Beyond the Terror Vortex, the third (and final?) chapter in the outrageous story of Angus McFife. At first I wasn't so impressed with it, because it didn't have any immediate standouts and it just seemed more of what was before. But it has some awesome catchy tunes about the Land of Unicorns, Laser Powered Goblin Smashers, Thunder Striking Wizard Thrashers, Heavy Metal Darklord Crashers and so on.



And I've been greatly excited to be able to see them, and Powerwolf on the same stage, in Bucharest. What an amazing pairing. If you understand Romanian, you can read my review here. Not only can the frontman bring his operatic voice from the studio to the stage, but he is a real showman and made some really funny jokes between songs. Really, the whole show is better quality than some other serious acts I've seen. The same can be said about Powerwolf as well.

And when the year was coming to an uneventful end, the bomb dropped: another Nanowar video, with a guest appearance from Angus McFife as Odin the Allfather himself. Another amazing gospel metal tune that reunites all the religions and cultures of the world under a single sign. What a great Christmas gift!



I guess Rammstein also fit here, with their first album in 10 years. A great one all round, nothing fancy, catchy tunes that deserve several listens, and an over the top spectacular show, that is a must see for any concert lover.

Great expectations

In the conclusion of my last year review, I mentioned some highly anticipated releases for 2019. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to love Moonglow, it just doesn't connect. Nothing seemed to stick with me, like it did with all of the previous releases, the guest voices sound muddled and do not leave the impact that we've come to expect from Avantasia.

Myrath, on the other hand delivered a great album. Even though they've totally departed from their proggy beginnings and have a more commercial sound, the combined talent and musicianship makes for some very exciting songs. And in December they also released a DVD of their performance in Carthage, which from the trailer looks absolutely stunning.

While I was glad to see hometown band Methadone Skies receive praise for their Different Layers of Fear album, I just couldn't get myself to listen to it more than a few times. They've departed a bit from their playful experiments for a more cemented post-rock sound. I guess it's more mature and it might just be my mood, but it wasn't for me. I felt the same way about We Lost the Sea's Triumph & Disaster. I had to force my way into it, and didn't feel as awe-inspiring as the sublime Departure Songs.

Finally, I was delighted to see Immortal Bird release their first full-length release, Thrive on Neglect. (even thought it's only 37 minutes, not much longer than the two EPs already in their discography) Immortal Bird is another offshoot of Woods of Ypres, in which drummer Rae Amitay takes on the microphone with some incredible growls. The band delivers a wall of  sound, with mellow bridges that take you from one blast of energy to the next. The best thing about them is the honesty and passion of their performance.

Great discoveries

The year started great with an album that actually would fit very well next to the albums of 2018. When a Shadow is Forced into the Light by Swallow the Sun creates an inspiring doomish setting, moulded by moody orchestral arrangements. Excellent song-writing, perfect blend in a very digestible soundscape.

 At some point Spotify fed me the eerie sound of Mephorash. Everything about them screams occultism and the atmosphere they create feels veritable if you don't give it too much thought. I was quite mesmerised by Sanguinem, off of their Shem Ha Mephorash of 2019.

It takes a lot for a band to amaze me. Especially covers that don't bring their own (radical) touch I find not interesting at all. So I was quite surprised when I first Liliac's version of Holy Diver. It's basically the same as the original, only with a modern production, that sounds just perfect. The most stunning thing is the voice: an 18-year old girl with the perfect blend of raspiness, range and attitude. Then you find out the band is actually a family, with the youngest aged 12, the oldest 20, while their father is their producer. Everything sounds great: guitars, drums, keyboards. They started doing covers on Santa Monica pier and, having enjoyed great success, decided to record some original songs. Unfortunately, the compositions are not that distinguished, but still listening to how they play fills me with great excitement.



Finally, Spotify delivered another great discovery towards the end of the year, a band that I'm surprised I have not heard of before: Neonfly. Another great sounding band, with a perfect mix of old-school and modern, intriguing lyrics, catchy riffs, a superb solo, and a powerful voice. This World is Burning is one of the best songs I've heard in 2019 and is the first single off their third album, to be released sometime in 2020.

Pop

Gotta have a pop album in there. And this year it's Weezer. With two albums actually, released at around two months difference, beginning of the year. One is a compilation of covers of songs like Africa, Mr. Blue Sky, Paranoid, or Take on Me. The other is just original compositions and I can't say much, other than I just really enjoyed listening to both albums. It's Weezer.

Manowar

Seems about right to start the year of parody with Nanowar and end it with Manowar. There were announcements of studio recordings from the band, but with a tour early in 2019, the Final Battle I EP came sort of as a surprise. Just four songs, with one being an instrumental intro that has replaced the Ben Hur theme in concerts. But what songs for any Manowar fan!

Blood and Steel continues the style from the previous Manowar album, The Lord of Steel, outlined by a fuzzy bass line, uplifting drums, synth choirs on the chorus, an all round feel good metal tune, that climaxes with a good old guitar solo and trademark Eric Adams screams.

Sword of the Highlands got me all emotional. And not because it seems like it was written for Braveheart. Actually, Joey DeMaio said that the inspiration was the soundtrack for Titanic, and I think the flute intro is proof of that. But the highlight of the song is once again Eric's mesmerising voice, that starts soft and soothing, delivering power without screaming, sustained by an emotional guitar. And the lyrics just bring chills up my spine: "Carry the fight on for me/ For all the sons of the Highlands/ Fight for the right to be free, never be owned".

And finally, the biggest surprise of the EP, a song with Joey singing! You Shall Die Before I Die is in the vein of Hatred or Burning, with a devilish bass line, eerie guitars and choirs, painting a rather compelling image of a colourful, freakish hellscape. Of course, Joey doesn't really sing, but recite the in-your-face Joey style lyrics, with a devilish effect to the point of caricature. It's one of the most original compositions I have heard in a while from a metal band.

And that just makes me hope with all my heart that there are still more Manowar songs to come in the future.

It always wins

2019 has seen the two biggest movie franchises come to their conclusions. (Or perhaps more accurately, to their end-of-an-era moments). Of course, this meant that the heroes of these movies were set against their biggest foes, and of course, good won in the end, because with Disney, Hollywood and blockbusters in general, it always wins.

Nothing wrong with that, except that, at least in the times we are living, it is so predictable and expected that it does not have the same emotional and inspirational impact that it used to. It just feels like running through the same familiar script, enjoying the visuals and the witty dialog of the protagonists. It's just not relatable.

Let's start with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thanos was such a great villain not only because he was the most powerful one that the Avengers have had to fight, but because he was always right. What ever he said, it had truth in it, even though the others didn't like it. And you cannot defeat truth. You can fight it, hide it, ignore it, hide from it, but it will be always there, haunting you.

Or you can use some magic stones and snap your fingers to make it go away. Yeah, that always works.

If you ask me, the perfect end to the Marvel saga would have been the first scenes of Endgame, where people are coping with their losses. Some better than others, some worse: Captain America, as always, doing what is right, leading the way, showing others and helping them go on with their lives; Tony Stark, settling down, realising he cannot put a suit of armour around the world; Banner, accepting what he is, Thor not accepting he is and becoming a hobo; Hawkeye not dealing so well with the loss of his family.

But I can see why this could not be the end, as the franchise needs to keep rolling, and offer a satisfying conclusion to the heroes of the last decade. Obviously, the status quo is not satisfactory, and they couldn't lay back and do nothing about it. And this brings them back to fight Thanos, who bluntly summarises their ultimate flaw:

You could not live with your own failure.

Indeed! That is basically the story of the whole franchise, or at least of the Avengers movies. Because of them, Earth almost got occupied by aliens. It wasn't, but the aftermath was incredible, changing the lives  of millions of people in dramatic ways. Then they thought of solving the problem once and for all. And that led to Ultron, another walking-talking lesson, that they "solved" with even more tragedy and destruction, ending with a not so friendly break-up between the world's most loved superheroes. Surely, after more than 20 instalments, they would have learned their lesson. Surely now, when the lesson itself is talking to them directly, staring them in the face, ready to crush them once and for all, surely now they will learn to live with their failure.

Nope. Because Iron Man. And because, like I said, that was pretty much inevitable.

Well... if we think about it deeper, Thanos may have been defeated, but the good guys didn't win. Because you can't win against truth. You cannot ignore it, for it will always come back to haunt you. (Where did that bring you? Back to me. - IV Avengers 128:11-16) And if you do fight it, you will not come out triumphant. Tony Stark, who was instrumental in the whole reverting things to how they were plot, whose core simply could not accept the truth - that he failed (over and over) at protecting the world, would pay the price for his sin. Not being able to accept his family life over his failure, he payed the ultimate price for it. Captain America on the other hand, accepted that things are not as simple as they were in the good old days when you could always punch evil in the face, and that you can live with not always having to fight just because you're right. Perhaps the most endearing of all, Banner has learned to live with the Hulk. Like I said, you can fight the truth, you can hide it, ignore it, and that's what Banner always did. But it will always come back to remind you of it. So it's much better to just accept it and learn to live with it.

Hmm, now that I've thought about it, I guess the writers actually did a great job.

Let's move on to Star Wars, where the evilest being in the Universe is back. And gone in like 16 hours. Phew! And millions of worlds probably didn't even know about it.

So the big twist about Episode 9 is that JJ Abrams wanted to have his "No, I am your father" moment. Well, I don't know if he wanted that or not, but the reaction to that scene was more like "She's a Palpatine. Oh, ok, whatever." Well, I loved the idea of The Last Jedi, that you don't need to have the privilege of your ancestry in order to be special, but this setup does make things interesting.

Just like Hulk, Rey is now confronted with what she is. There is something dark inside her, but since she wants to be good, she now has to deal with it. And the climactic moment of this decision is when she confronts Palpatine himself, just like Luke Skywalker did. And both are put up against similar decisions: Luke should kill his father, but doing so he would have given into his negative feelings, while Rey should strike down Palpatine as the only way to stop all of the incredibly bad going on around, but doing so she would inherit the throne of darkness. (Don't know why there needs to be a ritual involved for something that is just giving into your instincts and acting out of impulse, but whatever.)

And it's the same sort of threat that Thanos poses, only more direct. Here I am, all the evil in the world, yet you cannot defeat me, because I represent the truth about yourself and doing so in this case would just mean that you are also evil. And not doing it would just mean that I kill you and nothing has changed. That is the inevitable truth. You can fight it, ignore it, hide from it, but it will always be there. And that's why Luke never defeats the Emperor.

He was feeling pretty smug when Darth Vader brought him to face Palpatine. "Oh, this is going to be so awesome." he was saying to himself. "I'm going to convince my father to turn good, we're going to kill the Emperor together, Han and Leia will bring down the shield and the Rebellion will blow up the Death Star. Live happily ever after, for ever and ever and ..."

Ooops! Just a reminder from the TruthEmperor that being arrogant is not so nice, and that you're still an animal driven by your emotions and before you know it you're smashing your own father with a lightsaber. And all because you could not accept failure above your precious Jedi principles.

Of course, Luke does realise all that and stops himself just in time and does the right thing. He accepts his defeat, and therein lies his victory. He throws away his lightsaber (ghasp!) and proclaims:

I am a Jedi, like my father before me.

You should note the subtlety: it's not just that Luke didn't kill the Emperor. That would have just been hiding from the truth. He openly accepts the truth, thus showing Anakin that there is another way. Yes, Anakin, the one who could never accept the loss of his mother, nor the fact that you cannot stop all suffering, that you cannot stop death, the one who has fought the truth, and then just ignored it and hid from it under a mechanised suit. Yes, Luke has shown him that acceptance is the way, and Anakin is the one who kills the Emperor, redeeming himself and his life of neglect. But Luke could never have defeated the Emperor himself, lest he go down the same path as his father.

Well, turns out Luke didn't really learn the lesson himself, as he thought that evil can be defeated for good, and that good can live on by itself and he can happily train good Jedi forever and ever. Except he couldn't and once he realised the truth, how did he confront it? He ran away to hide from it.

But luckily Rey showed him the way (in The Last Jedi) and he could advise her (in The Rise of Skywalker) not to make the same mistake as he did and act out of fear. Although I'm not sure how necessary that advice was, considering that the biggest threat of the Universe is ready to strike and if you don't act upon it, no matter the consequences, there will literally be no place to hide!

Anyway, Rey inevitably stands in front of her eeeevil grandpa, given this impossible choice of striking him down and taking his place, or not doing that and letting him destroy his friends and everything she ever cared for. So what does she do? Strike him down, of course! Ok, she reflects his lightning with her lightsabers and the power of all the Jedi, but that still counts as striking him down! And it seems she didn't take his place after all. I guess that ritual was really important, huh?

Well, you could say that the point actually is that Rey was confronted with having evil inside her but choosing to be good. In the final scene when asked her family name, she says Skywalker, instead of Palpatine, showing that she chose to be a Skywalker, rather than a Palpatine. Yeah sure, I guess one family of Universe-level mass murderers is better than the other one. Good on her for listening to her heart. I guess that also means that Luke's failure in defeating evil for good is due to not changing his own name to Luke Kenobi.

Sarcasm aside, that's not the way things work. It's not just choosing who you want to be. It's not the same as being born in a family of gangsters and choosing to become a cop and arrest them. Being the ancestor of a force-wielder is more like being born with a disability (or a super-human ability, but the disability analogy fits better in this case, because it's something that Rey would rather do without). If you're born deaf or mute, it's kind of hard to choose to be a musician. If you're born with something like the Down syndrome, you can choose to be a better person, but it's more than just choice. You have to accept your flaws and deal with them. And, once again, dealing doesn't mean fighting them, ignoring them, or hiding from them. It means living with them and becoming better because of them, not despite them.

If you ask me, the best plot for the next Star Wars trilogy would be that Rey is driven mad by her inner conflict which she obviously does not even understand nor is even aware of, and actually becomes Empress Palpatine, only instead of being driven by an urge for absolute power, she's just demented and does irrational things. Sometimes for fun, sometimes out of anger, or hatred. And when someone confronts her, she just tells them that they're talking nonsense, that she's a Skywalker, and she's all good. Who would save the galaxy this time? Don't know. Many people. The kid with the broom from the last scene of The Last Jedi would surely be involved. The first two movies wouldn't even have to show her. Maybe keep some mystery about who the Empress is at first. And where the hell is Rey? The gang of good guys could have an adventure to some unknown world, where they find her true ancestry (because no one besides her knows, right?). Anyway, I'm just blabbering here. But in the end, they face her. And they persuade her to admit the truth. And then she crumbles inside. And she commits suicide, finally accepting the truth. Because it always wins.

Childhood Park

Replenish your faith

in memory of the bronze deer

as the oaks stand firm witnesses

to the cobwebs on the bushes

that once were attack ships off the shoulder of Orion

while gypsy kids climbed up the tree of life

to get the ball

that was not theirs.

So messed up

I cannot tell the weeds from the roses anymore.

Only time swings now

pausing only for this moment of eternal joy.

2018 Music Albums

Unlike previous years, it looks like in 2018 I've listened to quite a few albums actually released this year. So I thought it might be fun to write a bit about them.

Albums I love

Godsmack - When legends rise

My relationship with Godsmack started in the late '90s, before YouTube and I think even the Internet. I was mesmerised by the video for “Voodoo” and would switch music TV channels just hoping I might catch it.

Time passed and I didn't follow the band closely, until a few years ago. Having been disconnected I did not realise that they had garnered some hate, just like all things late '90s seem to have. So I questioned my feelings and wanted to see if it was just skewed teenage perspective. Nope, turns out I still like the classics like “I stand alone”, “Awake” or “Keep away”, and I enjoy listening to anything from their discography. Yes, I can see why you might despise the attitude, but that's just on the surface, and music-wise Godsmack is a great band. I liked “The Oracle” and I especially liked “1000hp”. And finally, three years ago I got to cross them off the list of “absolutely have to see” bands and they totally kicked ass. Godsmack is a guaranteed energy-booster anytime.

And with that introduction, we get to their 2018 album. Before the release, Sully Erna, the band's front-man, stated that they are trying to basically dilute their sound in order to target a larger audience. All the negativity from the critics came to my mind and made me think they were right all along and Godsmack is just the kind of band that would sell-out if need be.

But then they released a video for “Bulletproof”. While the sound was indeed more accessible, I found the video to actually be a parody of the idea of selling out. Then the album came out and I was ashamed I ever doubted them. At less than 40 minutes, “When legends rise” is packed with intimacy and positivity. The lyrics are more personal and self-conscious. Sully is more emotional and his voice and melody work off each other for double the impact. Shannon Larkin is amazing as usual, his drumming being more like a second voice than just the backbone of the music.

The album was a great running companion, with energy-boosters like the title track or “Bulletproof”, the introspective “Someday” and even a ballad like I haven't heard in a long time, complete with violins (“Under your scars”).

Twenty one pilots - Trench

I had heard of Twenty one pilots before, but swiftly categorised them as “not my kind of music”. Then, a few years ago, being bored, I clicked on some “rock” hits playlist on Google's streaming service. And after a few songs I'm being served “Stressed out”, which doesn't sound like rock at all. But listening to it my thoughts were “I can relate to this”. Also, I think if I had been born 15 years later than I actually was and this was playing on MTV, it would actually be the kind of music I would listen to.

So, daringly, I started to listen to more Twenty one pilots and even reading more about them. I found songs like “Lane boy” or “Migraine” instantly fascinating. This wasn't rock music, but it also wasn't mainstream pop music. It had something to say. It had lots to say, in fact.

However, since this is not the kind of music I listen to normally, the first reaction to “Trench” was that maybe the album is also not for me. I was looking for another song as original and captivating as the ones I mentioned and did not find one at first. But on subsequent listens, I quickly fell in love with the album. It simply absorbed me. The deeper I immersed into it, the more fascinated I was. Twenty one pilots - or rather Tyler Joseph, the main man behind the duo - has created a rich and diverse musical and lyrical vocabulary to evoke the intricacies of the mind. From fast rapping, to angry screams, and a vast range of singing styles in between, Tyler shifts through genres with great ease. Even Josh Dun's drumming is more elaborated and interesting. And above all that, “Trench” has so much backstory that it would make a symphonic power metal band jealous. It sets a relentless introspective mood, that leaks with optimism should you listen carefully. It praises, but it also condemns.

Albums I was thrilled by

Dee Snider - For the love of metal

This came out of nowhere. Dee Snider is, of course, the front-man of Twisted Sister, a crazy band known especially for “We're not gonna take it” or “I wanna rock” - fun, blood-pumping songs, sung by a guy with curly blonde hair, who liked to dress like a woman and use lots of makeup.

I didn't expect the same guy would come out in his '60s with a straightforward heavy metal album, showing the young kids how it's done. The tracks are full of energy and in-your-face lyrics, with a dash of quirky '80s style humour: “I gave you yesterday / You can keep it / Because today is mine”. “For the love of metal” is exactly what it says: a tribute from one of the old ones, offered with love and passion. A great listen any moment of any day.

Ghost - Prequelle

Until now I just thought that Ghost is another one of those bands with makeup and masks that sing some sort of parody metal. I had the chance to see them live four or five years ago, but passed it due to this preconception.

Well, I don't know if they weren't as I described, but “Prequelle” shows a very serious and mature band. Sure, the whole shtick is putting occult lyrics and imagery over melodic pop metal, but they certainly don't take their job lightly. The song-writing is solid, with compositions that have a natural structure entwined with the musical and lyrical message.

“Rats” is a standout hit, and “Dance Macabre” could easily be played on radio and no one would find it strange. I'm just disappointed they didn't consider going to Eurovision with any one of these two. And there are two wonderful instrumentals on the album, just to enforce the idea that this is no funny business, while songs like “Pro Memoria” go into the philosophical. There's lots of texture in the music, but it is also easy to listen to and instantly contagious.

Judas Priest - Firepower

I admit. I'm not really a fan of Judas Priest, and “Firepower” is the first full album I've listened to from the band. It's exactly what it needs to be, straightforward heavy metal, from the grandfathers of the genre. You could say it's a textbook heavy metal album, but that would mean that any disciple band could copy it. And that's where the greatness comes from, that they make it all look so natural.

Thrawsunblat - Great Brunswick Forrest

Thrawsunblat is an offshoot of Canadian Juno Award winners Woods of Ypres. (one of my favourite bands, of which I have to talk at length some other time) They have combined black and doom metal with folk music to paint a naturalistic, mythical world, inspired by the vast landscapes of Canada. With “Great Brunswick Forrest” they have gone acoustic. Yet the Thrawsunblat visceral energy is still there, with signature guitars and drumming from Joel Violette and Rae Amitay, which have both been in Woods of Ypres for the legendary last album. The strange lyrics and vocals add to the eerie feel that distinguishes Thrawsunblat's music.

Haken - Vector

Though I've seen the “Affinity” album pop up here and there, I only gave the band attention this year, when I also got a chance to see them live at Artmania Festival.

I'm a big fan of King Crimson, so you could say I like progressive rock. Progressive metal? Not so much. I find that these kinds of bands usually focus too much on the technical side and forget to convey feeling. Haken, on the other hand, have deep roots in all things progressive, and assemble it in a thoroughly enjoyable package. It's fun, it's quirky, it's angry, it's full of energy.

But I needed a few listens to really get into “Vector”, which, even though it's three quarters of an hour long, with only 7 tracks, it's more of an EP for a band like Haken. The problem was that it felt a bit generic, and it fell into the technical trap I mentioned. I could listen to the melody, but not really get into it. But songs like “Puzzle Box”, “The Good Doctor” or “A cell divides”, eventually turn out to be very fun. I now think the real issue was that there are no obvious standouts like “The Architect” or “Cockroach King”.

Zeal & Ardor - Stranger Fruit

This is another band that I saw at Artmania Festival, but which I had heard nothing about before. They were totally mesmerising. And only afterwards I found out that they made quite a big hype at other festivals around the world.

The band is actually the project of Manuel Gagneux, and it started after he challenged 4chan to propose two musical genres two blend into a song. They unapologetically proposed “nigger music” (Manuel being half-Afro-American in descent) and black metal. The result is quite unique, and I would compare Zeal & Ardor to a modern Burzum: a raw take to music, picking up different influences and cutting them down to suit creative needs. Distorted black metal riffs, growls and screams, contrast with gospel choir-like chants and incantations, all creating an eerie atmosphere, full of occult symbolism and paying tribute to all the values that guided pioneers of said musical genres. Some songs even tend towards R&B, soul and blues - that is before the screaming and distortion kicks in.

However, this being the first full-length album of the band, after an EP released in 2017, it has a rough quality to it, a feeling that with more maturity it can evolve to something actually brilliant, rather than just a shocking novelty. Because novelty has the characteristic that it runs out eventually.

Albums I enjoyed, but was not impressed by

Beyond the Black - Heart of the Hurricane

Nightwish was one of the first bands I liked when I started listening to music. But since then, it was the only female-fronted symphonic metal band that I really liked. I did not care for Within Temptation, Epica and not even post-Tarja Nightwish. Until last year when I was captivated by just such a band at the Artmania Festival. Beyond the Black sounded fresh and Jennifer Haben's voice was not only great, but it had a certain unique slight crispiness to it, that set it out from all the sopranos in the genre.

After listening to their discography (just two albums at that time) it was hard to get songs like “In the shadows”, “Lost in forever” or “Forget my name” out of my head. With 2018's release I think they tried to be more ambitious while also reaching for a larger audience. This included having the second male voice be cleaner, which sounds pretty irritating. The problem actually is that there are no hits and I can't say that any of the 15 songs (no "bonus tracks" or covers) standout like the titles I just mentioned. No moments to give Jennifer a chance to really shine - except maybe the mellow “Breeze”.

But on subsequent listens, the album got under my skin with the band's natural force lurking in the details. I found the same freshness in the song writing, the music being richer then ever, with meandering symphonies, powerful choirs and all that.

Khemmis - Desolation

I stumbled over this band while randomly listening to stuff on Google's music streaming service. Originally starting as a doom metal band, they blend melodic metal harmonies into their music, creating a distinctive sound of their own. Their third album, released this year, is even further departed from doom. “Isolation” has a very catchy tune and it is clearly made for a larger audience, but it is quite different from the rest of the album. While still pretty solid, I liked ”Hunted”, their previous release, more.

Powerwolf - Sacrament of Sin

I simply ignored Powerwolf until I saw them on Wacken live stream in 2017. Mid-day, in front of a full house, the atmosphere they created was simply electrifying. You could just see the energy running through the whole crowd.

But listening to their studio recordings, I couldn't feel the energy as much. “Sacrament of sin” is just another incarnation of Powerwolf's clerical choir-like power metal, with amusing, satirical lyrics. They are at a point where the compositions come out naturally, but are all basically interchangeable. Fun to listen at anytime, though.

Nanowar of Steel - Stairway to Valhalla

Being a Manowar fan, I have become immune to all the jokes made about the band. The jokers just don't get it and never will, and I don't care. Therefore, I completely scoffed at Nanowar (before Steel) some 10-15 years ago. I didn't find them funny at all, and it didn't seem like they could even play their instruments properly.

Well, I don't know what they did in the meantime, but “Stairway to Valhalla” sounds quite good actually. So good, that at some points you wouldn't know it's a parody. Well, partly to blame is the Italian accent which doesn't make the lyrics very understandable, which is crucial when you tell a joke.

But there are times where I found myself unable to resist laughing, on songs like “The call of Ctulhu” (an actual telephone call, where the dial tone resembles cartoonish gargle noises of a would-be Lovecraftian creature), “Hail to Lichtenstein”, or “The Quest for Carrefour”. Also, while parodying power metal bands, you get the feel that they actually understand the genre, and are not just blindly mocking it.

Therapy? - Cleave

Fun collection of songs. Didn't listen to it much. Doubt it will make a deeper impression. But wouldn't mind listening to it once in a while.

Disappointments

Riot V - Armor of light

I've been quite oblivious of the legendary American outfit called Riot. I've only heard of them after the death of the band's founder and leader, Mark Reale. For some reason the members decided to continue under the name Riot V, with the amazing voice of Todd Michael Hall. “Unleash the Fire” was the first album they released in this formation and it was well received. I liked it, too. It had a great feel and emotion to it, and I could even sense the great musical tribute they payed to Mark Reale's legacy, without having known anything about him or the band's history.

So I much anticipated the next Riot V release, which came in 2018. Unfortunately, “Armor of light” is lacking all that I liked about “Unleash the Fire”. I gave it a few listens throughout the year, but the songs just would not stick. It's just a generic metal album, with nothing to give.

Grave Digger - The Living Dead

Grave Digger is an old German heavy metal band, with one of the weirdest voices in the genre. I'm sure that anybody with Chris Boltendahl's voice would not even consider a singing career. Yet he did. In any case, the band puts out material with great frequency, about an album every two years. Some of it is great, some not. “The Living Dead“ is not. In fact it's one of their blandest in recent years. Usually they would have at least a couple of standout songs. But there are none on this album. They tried something with the polka metal style of “Zombie Dance”, but I've seen much better parodies than this. (see Nanowar of Steel above)

Alice in Chains - Rainier Fog

First listen: sounds good, will have to give it some more listens.

Time passes.

Second listen: sounds good, will have to give it some more listens.

More and more time passed. Gave it some more listens. While at that moment I liked parts of the album, at this moment I can barely remember anything about it.

At one point, while listening to random stuff, a song from “Black gives way to blue” kicked in and it immediately grabbed by attention. And that is not really an amazing album. I like it, but it's not something I listen to often. “Rainier Fog” seems like something I forget the instant I finish it.

Romanian albums

Sanctuar - Simfonia Îngerilor

Sanctuar is a local band that was just getting started when I started going to metal concerts. I'm quite fond of them. They don't release music very often, and they are just on their third album, despite their over 15 years of history. After a great first album, came a second not so great one, and this third one is... also not that good, unfortunately. It seems the current band members are not as skilled as the original ones, and “Simfonia Îngerilor” is not only generic heavy metal, but also quite boring with only few interesting moments.

Trooper - Ștefan cel Mare - Poemele Moldovei

This is the second attempt at an epic story album from one of the most successful metal/hard-rock Romanian bands to be formed after 1989. They didn't repeat the more egregious mistakes they made with “Poemele Valahiei”, but “Poemele Moldovei” is still not great. Most of the songs seem to try too hard to just be a narrative, with only a couple of them able to be outright good songs on their own. There's just nothing that exciting for me there.

Luna Amară - Nord

The “Pietre în alb” album received excellent feedback, coming on top of an already well established discography. Their subsequent release, “Aproape” - more of an EP really - took a sideways step, being a collection of acoustic songs, complete with a string quartet, so a more regular album was to be expected.

I didn't find “Nord” up to par with their previous albums. I don't see a clear direction for the band's music, other than maybe going for a larger audience with a more digestible sound, and all songs being sung in Romanian. To me it just feels like an album from a relatively new band, not from one that has reached the peak of its creative output.

I found it hard to be excited, especially when a song like “Focuri” sounds like an amateurish venture into hip-hop, and one of the singles, “Nu știu, nu iau, nu sunt” has a generic filler quality to it, rather than being a standout on the album.

However, repeated listens have revealed a deeper emotion of the material, with more heartfelt - though not really subtle - lyrics, the most explicit examples being “Respiră un început” or “Om”. Songs like “Insomnii” and “Tăcerea” have interesting, catchy melodies. All in all, “Nord” feels like a small, unpolished gem. Maybe my expectations were a bit higher.

Albums I missed

Obviously, I don't listen to even a fraction of music that an actual critic listens, too. So I've noted some albums that I saw recommended by credible sources:

• Slugdge - Esoteric Malacology
• 1914 - The blind leading the blind
• Suede - The Blue Hour
• Altars of Grief - Iris

Looking forward to 2019

Two bands I follow should release new albums in the first months of 2019, and have already released a single each, which have gotten me very excited.

Myrath promises to thrill with some more overly intricate symphonic Arabian metal, and, it seems, with a story behind the album:

Tobias Sammet is a maniac composer, who seems to never tire from putting out great epic music, making well established vocalists shine once more. Avantasia, which originally seemed a one-time project, is now on the eighth album, and it promises to be at least just as amazing as the previous ones:

Also, in Romania, Methadone Skies should also be releasing a new album and I'm very curious what they have been cooking up.

Postulatul fotbalistic

„Fotbalul este pentru suporteri”. Axiomă sau teoremă demonstrată? Până de curând, nu am pus la îndoială acest dicton.

De ce a apărut fotbalul? A apărut la cerința unor suporteri? Existau deja suporteri înainte să existe fotbal? Aș zice că nu ne confruntăm cu o problemă de tipul „oul și găina”.

Fotbalul, ca orice sport, a apărut pentru plăcerea practicanților și a luat o formă competitivă pentru a fi mai palpitant. Desigur, activitatea a atras public și de-a lungul anilor, printr-o dezvoltare virtuoasă, a ajuns la nivelul actual, cu milioane de spectatori și miliarde de euro în jurul său.

Dar în esență, fotbalul nu are nevoie de suporteri. Poți juca liniștit fotbal în curtea școlii, sau în parc cu prietenii, fără ca cineva să te urmărească sau să te susțină.

Până la urmă cine sunt suporterii? Fanii înflăcărați ai unei galerii? E clar că nu, căci la orice meci există și spectatori mai puțin vocali, dar care iubesc o echipă cu la fel de multă pasiune. Chiar și cei care merg de două ori pe an la un meci... nu e fotbalul și pentru ei? Nu e și pentru spectatorii din fața televizorului? Fără ei, un campionat mondial nu ar fi la fel de fascinant.

Iar entitățile care finanțează fotbalul - de la sponsori, la televiziuni, la investitori - nu sunt și ele susținătoare ale fotbalului?

Astfel, concluzia este că fotbalul este pentru toți și pentru nimeni. Pentru că toți îl pot susține, dar nimeni nu are dreptul moral să și-l însușească în detrimentul celorlalți. Să privezi o parte a spectatorilor de plăcerea de a urmări o partidă de fotbal e abuziv și imoral. Pe de altă parte, să întrerupi actul competițional înseamnă să distrugi esența fotbalului și a sportului în general. Fotbalul fără suporteri poate exista, cu minusurile (și plusurile) inerente. Dar suporterii fără fotbal, nu.

Nu e o concluzie radicală, e starea firească. Astfel, nu e nevoie de schimbări fundamentale. Derapaje punctuale vor exista mereu, dar important e să nu uităm ordinea lucrurilor. Jocul în sine e elementul central, iar publicul e (sau trebuie să fie) liber să aleagă cât de mult se asociază cu el sau nu. Mai departe e vorba doar de respect mutual, de cât de mult oferă și primește fiecare parte, atâta timp cât rolurile nu se inversează.

Top albume Trooper

Am exclus EP-uri, single-uri etc. Astfel, nu am inclus „În ziua a opta”. Deși e discutabil dacă e un EP sau album, având în vedere că aproape jumătate e compus din trei piese cover și o reinterpretare a unei piese proprii, mi-ar fi fost foarte greu să îl compar cu celelalte materiale din top.

Așadar, definitiv și irevocabil:

7. Rock'n'roll pozitiv

Groaznic. Nu înțeleg ce s-a întâmplat la acest album, dar lasă impresia că a fost înregistrat dintr-o singură încercare și așa a rămas, în special în privința vocii, fiind cea mai slabă prestație a Coiotului. În rest, melodii neinspirate, cu prea puține părți interesante.

6. Electric

Mă întreb pentru câți fani Trooper titluri ca „În visul meu”, „Promisiuni” sau „Plaja amintirilor” înseamnă ceva. Și cu siguranță aș mai putea numi și alte piese de pe acest album, de care nu-și va aminti mai nimeni. Cincisprezece compoziții (fără intro) de-a lungul a peste o oră și un sfert. Melodii lălăite, aceleași teme răsuflate. Ascultând acest album cap-coadă timpul se dilată spre infinit ascunzând cele câteva piese bune precum „Dispari din ochii mei”, „Nu mai contează”, „În stele (partea I-a)”, „Testament” sau „O viață este prea mult”.

5. Poemele Valahiei

Opera rock a fost un proiect ambițios, dar în final putea fi mult mai reușit. Compozițional, e bun, ignorând câteva sincope pe parcurs, dar în rest întreg materialul jonglează între extreme. Versurile aduc ceva nou în textele formației, dar uneori par scrise cu dalta. Vocea uneori merge perfect, alteori e îngrozitoare. Faptul că nu s-a putut înregistra cu orchestră și că s-au folosit doar niște clape amărâte reduce din calitatea albumului. Dar până la urmă discografia Trooper a rămas cu „Solii turci”, „Kara Iflak”, „În Valahia” sau „Sfârșitul fără sfârșit”, iar piesa „Vlad Țepeș” și-a găsit și ea locul de drept.

4. Desant

Al doilea album de studio este ceva mai șlefuit, dar și mai temperat decât „Trooper I”. Conține cele mai bune balade ale trupei, dar și câteva piese de umplutură. În rest, piese ușor de ascultat, dar nu prea ambițioase.

3. Voodoo

Sunt surprins de cât de bun e totuși acest album. Chiar de multe dintre piese nu vor fi niciodată cerute de vreun fan într-un concert, sunt destul de variate cât să capteze atenția. Instrumentația este la înălțime chiar și pe piese cu titluri insipide precum „Noi doi”, „Fără tine” sau „Unde ești”, compozițiile fiind destul de interesante muzical cât să nu se simtă că albumul este la fel de lung ca „Electric”. Textele sunt mai rafinate, iar Coiotul își controlează mai bine vocea. De avea vreo 2-3 piese de impact, „Voodoo” se putea bate pentru prima poziție.

2. Trooper I

Albumul de debut are câteva slăbiciuni inerente, dar tocmai acea energie neșlefuită este cea care a lansat Trooper spre culmile rock-ului românesc. „Trooper I” e un album închegat, la obiect, ce a dat mai multe piese adorate de fani, printre care și „Tari ca munții” – un veritabil hit al genului heavy metal din România. Chiar de, privind retrospectiv, nu e tocmai de necriticat din punct de vedere compozițional sau liric, aproape orice piesă de pe acest album aduce amintiri plăcute celor mai vechi simpatizanți ai trupei.

1. Atmosfera

„Atmosfera” este chintesența a ceea ce e Trooper. De-a lungul a puțin peste o oră putem asculta ceea ce Trooper are mai bun de dat, de la riff-uri grele la melodii mai soft. Avem piese de dat din cap, piese de ascultat la drum. Avem un hit concis și la obiect („Liceul cimitir”), dar și cea mai bună baladă de la „Desant” încoace („Zi după zi”). Avem un moment de virtuozitate a Balaurului, precum și o excelentă compoziție progressive metal a lui Popa. Coiotul, cu doar puține scăpări, dă dovadă de flexibilitate, atât în colaborările cu Blaze Bayley, Leo Iorga sau Mihai Georgescu, cât și pe piesa cu influențe folclorice „Soarele și luna”. Această a șaptea încercare a reușit echilibrul perfect între durată, impact și diversitate.

Movies of 2010

I've decided to make a list of the movies released in 2010 that I've seen, order them and write a few words about each. For future reference.

12. Inception

Inception is the most idiotic movie I have seen that's in this list. Just like in the movie, there are 4 layers to this, and I'm going to go through them.

On the very first level we have what is the main theme of the story. Lead character Cobb has to deal with the memories of his wife, his own guilt and has to succeed to get back to his kids. However, in the relationship with his wife we are never shown more than the fact that she is a psychopath; all we get is Cobb whining about how much he loves and misses her. This is the main point of the movie - everything Cobb does is related to this woman, and everything that happens is because of her, be they Cobb's decisions, or her projection interfering with things. We are supposed to follow with his conflict, yet every time I see the woman I want her gone as fast as possible. Whenever flashbacks or projections of his family appear, all we are treated with is a blank stare. Also, the whole predicament he is in is quite ambiguous. He can very well travel all over the world, meet his father, phone home, but he couldn't have taken his kids with him. Considering all this, how then am I supposed to cheer for the character to succeed when I don't care about his goal?

Stripping all that away, what we remain with is a heist action movie. I've already dismissed the fact that the purpose of what they are doing has any interest to me, so I'm going to go deeper - to the second level. The consequences of their mission is irrelevant to the movie. We don't care whether mister Japan gets to rule the world, and what would have been very interesting to follow - the Fischer father-son relationship is moved to the state of pretext, and is superficially treated. Just watch the scene where Fischer wakes up, shaken by his revelation and tell me that's not ridiculous, since it has no relevance to the main part of the movie.

Granted, the whole plan to convince Robert is interesting to follow and is backed-up by delicious three-level action scenes, a brilliant gravity shifting fight (the best part of the movie) and good, innovative special effects. But towards the end the action is shredded to bits by the moral conflict of the story, or rather the other way around. When Cobb finds his wife, and we are about to get some explanations to this whole deal, almost after each few relevant lines we cut to some men in white shooting or a guy placing yet another explosive.

The movie even tries to show us a bit of team spirit and build some character relations with some brief commentaries and cheap tricks. When I've got to deal with an ambiguous conflict, and a confusing story, the last thing I care about is a bunch of background people with little character to show.

And I really hate Nolan's directing on a large level. The details are great, but the movie is just a bunch of scenes coming one after another without any coherent train of thought, a structure to it, or any build up. The first hour was excruciating to sit through, having to sift through many details, and unknown characters, that you can't tell if they are going to be relevant in the rest of the movie or not.

There are also so many external references and movie homages, that just show how bad Inception is when compared to them.

Moving on to the third level, we deal with the movie's Sci-Fi under layer. In Inception this element is there for the sake of things and not to provide much significance, even though it tries to. We get the technical details - lots of them. This does provide us with some incredible effects, but this is just showing off, as they become almost irrelevant for the rest of the movie. The whole dream "technology" is basically the world the characters have to deal with, the laws that govern it. And they all accept it, for good or for worse. Rarely do they try to delve too deep into any of the consequences. The deepest the movie does go is to imply that the dream is just a trap, from which one should escape. What is the consequence of getting out or staying in? The movie doesn't say.

Finally, into limbo world, we sink into Inception's reflective layer. The ending wishes to send out a message that we have just witnessed something awesome and that we should be asking questions, that there is something profound there, an eye-opener onto the real world. However, for me, it's just smoke and mirrors, offering us several possibilities, none of which make much sense with what we have just seen. Up until the end we are not provoked to question the validity of what we are seeing. Simply showing a symbol is not profound. The ending could have simply been Nolan shouting "Cut!" and the camera panning back to reveal a filming set. That would have had the same effect.

The movie does not put an emphasis on discerning dream from reality, although those are supposed to be its major points. Simply wording it does not count. I cannot tell whether it's best to be in a dream world, or in reality, as there are no emotions shown from the characters part tearing them from one or the other. Our answer to the question "Is it a dream? Is it reality?" is not what's important, more intriguing would have been Cobb's reaction. If he found out he was still in a dream, what would he do? Does he accept it or not?

Rather than asking him, the movie is asking me: is this reality or a dream? It's a movie! I don't care what it is in the movie. It has no repercussions on how I see my world. The dream world is a construction that engulfs the movie world completely, because the movie doesn't want to tell me anything about its repercussions. It just accepts it as a natural fact, just like I accept my world with all the gravity and stuff. If you ask me, it was just one of Nolan's strange dreams in which nothing makes much sense when you think of it, but when you wake up sweaty you have the feeling that it's something great. With that shot of the spinning top, Christopher Nolan has implanted us with the idea that his movie is something great and profound. Do you choose to accept that? Or do you choose reality?

11. Tron: Legacy

This is a bullshit of a movie. Despite being a sequel to the original Tron, it's actually a remake, even though the story is different. Everything that was in the original, is redone here using the latest graphical effects. First we get the Recognizers, then Disc Wars, then we get Light cycles, then the lead gets out of the bounds of the race track, the heroes have to go to someone to help them reach the portal, and to get there they use the Solar Sailer where the guy and the girl can share an emotional moment.

Everything else about the story in this movie is totally irrelevant. It didn't make sense to me, and I couldn't care less what the final outcome was. In fact I think the creators themselves approached this movie by pushing the story to the background. All they wanted is to entertain us with special effects, cool music, hot chicks in hot outfits, cheesy references to the original and to have Jeff Bridges duplicated on screen as a young CG version of himself. Which is exactly what I liked about this movie.

10. How to Train Your Dragon

A movie with dragons and vikings! How cool! But among the cheesy modern teenage dialogue and some mildly interesting action scenes, this is a missed opportunity. Not very much is remarkable or memorable here, except maybe the kid and his relation with the other characters, especially with the dragon and with his father. It's nice to see intelligence being praised in such a movie. Other than that I think I would have like this more if was a kid.

9. Alice in Wonderland

Another not very memorable movie, apart from the incredible scenery and stylistic effects. The wonderful shots, Tim Burton's freakish touch and the empowering score made for a very thrilling experience. Who would have thought this is how Wonderland is like? It had the most immersive 3D effects that I've ever sat through, the height of which is represented by the scene where Alice falls down the hole. Another of my favourite scenes are those with the Cheshire cat, especially the moon turning into the cat's smile. I also enjoyed the ending when Alice dons the stylish armour and sword for the final battle, ending wit the dragon's head falling down the spiral stairs. That's Wonderland, heh!

8. Megamind

The whole first act is exceptional. I was so thrilled that I thought this movie would be as amazing as Up with the great storytelling and homage to previous great works, but then it went from a movie with deep moral meaning to a generic action animation. Such a waste!

7. The Social Network

Great movie: great acting, great directing and great screenplay. Without these three you wouldn't be able to sit through the scenes in this film: people talking really fast and witty, people coding, people talking in a loud bar, lawyers talking and so on.

But.... there is a big problem. And since nobody seems to see the elephant in the room, I'll just point it out. This movie has no point! It tries to touch different aspects, but never bothers to stop on something meaningful and it is shallow in everything it deals with. As far as character development goes, it's like turning slightly to the side. Watching "The Social Network" gains you nothing whatsoever, and it does not offer anything emotionally or intellectually provoking.

For a movie with "Social Network" in its name, it's exactly the social interactions that are its weakest point. All of the relationships are soft and superficial, uninteresting and not very believable. The friendship between Zuckerberg and Saverin is never proven on screen, only taken for granted, with lines like "Friends don't do that". Even the conflict between them is weak and artificial, rather than emotional. The reasons behind it are vague and ambiguous, so I for one can't really understand the Saverin's outburst towards the end. I can't understand why Zuckerberg is doing what he is doing, as we get no insight to his emotions. He is simply a jerk, and nothing changes throught the whole movie.

I didn't expect to see the actual history behind the founding behind Facebook. But this is one of the most successful companies in all of history, which would have surely greatly affected its founders and people involved. Instead, we get some vague conflict regarding jealousy over acceptance to some exclusive douchebag club and a great conspiracy which involves a mistreated chicken (the highlight of the movie in my opinion!).

The other conflict, between the Facebook founders and the twins is just as weak, as they do not pose much threat to Zuckerberg's success, neither throughout the movie, nor in the end as we find out. In fact, they have their own story - one of morality, team spirit and boat racing. What that had to do with the founding of Facebook.... who knows?

The movie even turns into melodrama, in the scene where Saverin's girlfriend overreacts. A moment ago she was just some hooker who approached him because of his popularity and gave him a blowjob in the bathroom, but now the relationship is serious, and we find out she is overly jealous. This is soap opera material. In fact, I think the soap opera format would have suited this story much better. Zuckerberg's relationship with Erica is just as fake. From the movie I gathered she didn't matter much in his life, but the end would have us believe otherwise - not to mention the irony behind how meaningless the ending is. That sums up perfectly how little The Social Network has to offer.

Also, from the title you'd take it that the movie is in some way about social networking, a phenomenon so great that has opened amazing new opportunities, and has changed the way that most of us interact. What do we get? A bunch of silly people prancing around, arguing about their meaningless problems, with some cheap insertions of references to social network interactions. I mean, my girlfriend would kill me if I didn't set my relationship status, people get hooked to each other on Facebook, some people spend so much time on Facebook it's scary. But all we get is a few references that have nothing to do with the story whatsoever.

I'm guessing "The Social Network" was supposed to be a snapshot of modern social interactions, portrayed through the relationships of several people involved directly or indirectly in the founding of Facebook. Well, it's not a portrait, it's not a caricature, it's not even a sketch. I'd say it's something in between a sketch and stick figures. And no matter how good you make the lines of the stick figures, it's still not going to be a masterpiece, it'll only be superficial.

6. The King's Speech

The best actor movie on the list. Every scene is wonderful to watch because of this brilliant trio: the stammering king Colin Firth, the comical Geoffrey Rush and the loving wife Helena Bonham Carter. While the latter two have a quicker impact, as the movie progressed, I was drawn more and more by Colin Firth's character, as he could perfectly portray both the fear inside the man, and the power that he inherits through his royal blood, in a manner to which I could relate.

I liked that they tried to tell an inspiring story, but that didn't catch substance and it seemed to me like a just a setting for the brilliant talent of the cast to unfold in. The directorial touches are too obvious, too intrusive and some of the technical details are just superfluous.

Some scenes are way overacted. The first scene felt like I was being punched in the face to accept the larger than life tragedy of this poor man who stammers. Luckily the rest of the movie is nothing like this, making said scene seem taken from another production. In fact, I appreciated the light, merry tone all throughout, even in the more serious moments. Unfortunately, this too is stretched too much in the end, when the king's war speech matters more than the fact that war has just been declared. But all in all, it's just delicious British self-irony. And can you dig that ridiculous Churchill played by Timothy Spall?

5. Piranha

This is one gory movie that I really enjoyed! Rather than just showing would-be frightening or gross scenes, Piranha wants to thrill us, to engage us. The victims are tossed around and mutilated in spectacular ways, with an impression that some more powerful force is punishing them. I think, or like to believe that this movie has some moral message behind all the gruesomeness and blood, although sometimes it does appear to be radical. The scenes are well built and directed, and generally show off that there is some artistic feeling being put in there. I was surprised by the creativity shown at some points. (no spoilers) I also liked how the director even went out of the movie's way, reaching out toward the ridiculous, having something like a lesbian mermaid dance involving two naked girls. I really don't want to give anything away, but I can say that I've barely touched on all the things I've liked about the scenes. The ending shot is great - funny, but I think it also gives another perspective to the whole thing. All in all, a very good, fun, thrilling, artistic, gory movie.

4. Kick-Ass

3. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

I'm putting these two together since they are very similar. First of all they're both comic book adaptations, and second, they both have originality as strong points. This can be seen in Kick-Ass's thrilling action scenes and extraordinary characters. And I mean that last part literally, especially when you think of the star of this show - the 11 year-old killing machine called Hit-Girl. Both movies use innovative narrative devices. While present in Kick-Ass as well, this is more evident in the video-game inspired effects used in Scott Pilgrim; which is just a modern way of telling a teenage get-the-girl story.

But all that originality wouldn't be shit if the movies didn't have bigger than life characters (really - these are the most interesting movie characters in 2010), captivating stories, humour and thrilling action scenes, making them really enjoyable to watch. However, while entertaining, Kick-Ass is just a superhero action-flick and Scott Pilgrim is just a romantic comedy. Nothing too deep or thought-provoking - just fun. That's why these movies won't be any higher on my list. A plus for Scott Pilgrim because it actually has the main character evolve and learn something about himself and his relationship with The World, giving the movie an overall meaning.

2. Toy Story 3

It was really hard to rank this movie. I've moved it back and forth, and finally decided to place it at this spot because of how deeply impressed I was by the ending, it's as emotional as you can get, and Pixar knows how to do it best. It's not really that good as a movie as the previous two, but since this is a subjective list, that doesn't count.

The big problem is that Toy Story 3 looks as two separate movies. It continues where the last one left off with the problem that Andie has grown up and needs to make a decision as to the fate of the toys. In any case it's not going to be a good one. Then, using the common plot device of a simple misunderstanding (present in the first two Toy Stories as well), the movie makes a hard turn into a generic action flick, that has nothing to do with what was shown up to now.

It is interesting to watch, but it just feels like to completely separate parts, and a motive to show something going on and to give all the toys a few moments of peril and togetherness. That is good, as each toy has its moment and backstory, unlike Toy Story 1 or 2 where mostly Woody or Buzz were in the spotlight. Especially interesting is the side story of Ken and Barbie.

The main villain is quite uninteresting and poorly sketched, with an unconvincing background. But at least we have his sidekick, one of the sweetest evil characters ever. And I mean sweet not as in touching, but in the pure evil, creepy way.

I think it's clear that this installment was created especially for the 3D, but I'm very glad they didn't dismiss the rest and put all efforts into making a good movie especially if it's the last one in the series, unlike other franchises that have had comebacks just for the 3D. I also regret not seeing it in the cinema, because I think the effects were really good.

Apart from a slow moment in the middle, the movie's pace is mind boggling, as it has been in the previous two movies in the series, with the heroes being thrown from one peril into another. I must say this is the first time that I see a plan going off without a hitch all the way to the end, when the bad guys just show up. It just adds to the feeling that the writers knew that this part isn't important and that we should go through it as quickly as possible.

But at least they offered us monumental climactic scene, in which the whole movie team seems to have brought its outstanding contribution: the direction, the animation, and the music make for a masterpiece of a scene.

The deep impression this movie left in the end is more than enough to make up for the bad structuring.

1. Black Swan

For me this is by far the best movie of the year. To quote the ending, it's perfect. I don't have anything to complain about this.

The story builds on a couple of age-old myths and the movie wraps around it like a glove. It stems a few side stories, it gives a bit of conflict and some character development, but all these act towards the build-up of the main thread, expanding and evolving it towards the climax and ultimate message of the movie.

Even though the characters are given some personality, they are just avatars to carry the artistic vision and message of the story. All the secondary characters are different faces of the main character and what they symbolize and their role within the story is more important than any individual traits.

The orchestration of camera, lights and music is perfect, and all that remains is solid acting, and I think that Natalie Portman has outdone her self in an emotionally and physically exhausting role. I was afraid that she couldn't offer the transformation needed for the ending, but it just blew me away.

All that plus the salt and pepper added by Aronofsky in the form of surrealist introspection (without overdoing it) and (uhm... what's a nice euphemism for sex scenes?) artistic sexuality make for a very delicious viewing. This movie is thought provoking, mind stimulating, emotionally binding and .... yeah.

Final Thoughts

• If you're wondering why "The Social Network" gets the award for most overrated movie, and not Inception, that's because Inception got the most idiotic movie award.
• In case you missed it, click on the "Scrooge" Inception poster to find out what's the deal behind it and a higher-detail image of the poster.
• Did you notice how the people in "The Social Network" keep a running tally of emails and messages they send, so that they can spontaneously come up with lines like "we've exchanged 52 emails", "you couldn't answer any of my 47 texts", and it took me 52 words to write this line?
• Also, if you can't tell that a website is the next big thing just by glancing over one of its pages for a few seconds, then that is why you are not a billionaire yet.
• Once again, the best animation comes from Pixar. Heh!
• Enough with the comic books already!
• It's nice to find a good diversity in the movies I've seen.