MUSIC REVIEW: Iron Maiden - Brave New World

"Iron Maiden's restitution."

It's been years since Iron Maiden has sounded so vibrant and creative. Brave New World is a fine achievement of quintessential heavy metal songwriting; a return to form for one of metal's preeminent bands. Maiden shows considerable growth here, but the energy captured on this record is nearly concordant with their zenith of intensity (I refer to albums like Piece of Mind and Powerslave). This is the album Maiden fans have awaited for years, ever since they began to lose their fervor with No Prayer for the Dying.

So, Blaze Bailey out, Bruce Dickinson in. A good trade, to say the least, but even better with the canny melodic sense and creativity of guitarist Adrian Smith, who also returns. This ups the line-up to three lead guitarists, which might sound excessive, but it's remarkable how well they make it work. The arrangements don't sound cluttered at all, and overall the band handles this approach intuitively. If anything, they should have explored more complex guitar harmonies than they did. The production is stunning and gritty, and succeeds and isolating and preserving the ineffably energy of Iron Maiden's music.

As always, Iron Maiden is defined by the impetus of heavy metal's intensity with a shrewd melodic awareness unique among metal bands. The difference is that the band shows considerable progression here. While there are cuts that just ooze the classic Maiden sound (like "Wicker Man," "The Mercenary," and "Fallen Angel"), while others explore the band's more ambitious tendencies. Shades of these inclinations have often been evident ("Rime of the Ancient Mariner," "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son," "Heaven Can Wait," for instance), but here the band delves into them farther. Behold the Middle Eastern influences of the epic "The Nomad," the mix of quiet and loud passages in "Thin Line Between Love and Hate," and the lush orchestrations of "Blood Brothers." So, while the band retains their classic feel, they also expand on this with rewarding results. Truly, they are one of the most sophisticated heavy metal bands ever. (Steve Harris does enjoy many progressive rock bands, you know.)

My only complaints are that the band sometimes protracted the songs unnecessarily. "Mercenary" and "Fallen Angel" are ok, save for the fact that they are too repetitive. "Dream of Mirrors" is, again, a great song, but it should have been 2 or 3 minutes shorter because a lot of it is needless repetition. I'm left thinking that the band was trying too hard to impress at times.

Still, despite these complaints, I can't deny that this truly is a recovery for Maiden. Good job boys. (Sweet cover art, too!) Now how about another solo album, Bruce?

FILM REVIEW: Irreversible

A tour de force - this movie will change you.

I rarely review movies, I don't have much that's helpful to say about 'em so why bother? But "Irreversible" was so tragic and brutal and emotionally damaging, to write something about it seems to release some of the psychological strain felt after experiencing it. And make no mistake, you do not just watch this movie, but experience it. Gaspar Noe's method, whether his challenging cinematic virtuosity, his unflinching depictions of horrible brutality, the actors' improvised dialogue, et cetera... all of this utterly absorbs the viewer, who becomes a very uncomfortable bystander. Many people have left the movie unfinished, too unpleasant on many levels. this would happen in the first half, in which the violence is so awful and camera techniques are dizzying and esoteric (although it parallels the chaos of the main characters' delirious, frantic search), combined with an omnipresent bass tone that unsettles the nerves even further. To call it a challenging film seems to be an understatement. As a sort of emotional ordeal, Noe's film is one of the most powerful I have seen.

Part of the visceral effect of this film is surely its controversial depictions of graphic violence, in its infamous, horrifying rape scene and murder scene. (there is also the early setting in the underground gay club, which has plenty of nightmarish and nasty images.) It seems to cheapen the movie to bring these two scenes up in such a way like they're "what the movie's all about, yo!" -- and surely many people will come across this movie in the first place by finding it on "top 10 disturbing movies" lists or something where these scenes are invariably described. That said, I can't help but do the same thing, because in all my adult life this is the only movie where I have had to look away when it was just too much. this must be mentioned because the violence is central to the plot and the emotional onslaught (would the beautiful final scenes be so devastating if not for the viewer's knowledge of what happens, and would you even give a damn if the violence represented was just tame and trivial?). Everyone's buttons get pushed different ways of course and that's fine, but it is too easy for others to disparage this movie because of its depictions of terrible violence, but such does not make a movie bad. To attribute this brutality to a lack of morality or sensationalism is very ignorant. The murder scene is not bloody but incredibly cruel and disturbing, rendered in a fluid shot that makes it too close for comfort. When Monica Bellucci is raped and beaten it's even worse, a static shot that looks on and on for what seems like an eternity. As bad as it sounds (and it's much worse to see), this film does not sensationalize violence -- I can think of few movies that are more anti-violence.

The reason for this is the structural device. On paper, this sounds like a standard rape-and-revenge tale if presented linearly. But "Irreversible" is told backwards, starting (ending) from the aftermath of the showdown with the suspected rapist to the elegiac final (beginning) scenes of tenderness and beauty and warmth before everything unravels later in the story. The violence opens the film, rather than concluding it. The title card at the movie's end (story's beginning), "Time destroys all things," is not so much a "deep philosophical point" or anything in my opinion, but a simple summation of why "Irreversible" is so tragic. the way violence begets violence and how certain causal relations gain different meaning is interesting, but the real core of this movie is a poignant, heartbreaking message about the delicacy upon which all the beauty in life can depend. When the dialogue in later scenes `foreshadows' (if that's the right term) horrors not yet experienced by the characters, the unrecognized significance hits the viewer like a sledgehammer. Not very subtle, and pretty manipulative really, but very affecting. Actually, the scene where they make love in their apartment is beautiful but disturbing in its own way... we all understand the hitchcockian idea of suspense where the viewer knows more than the characters - well, this is like anti-suspense because we already know the outcome and it makes the film's last scenes soooo wrenching. It plays out like a memory, moving from the great ugliness of present to the comforting idyll of the past. This too is very sad if you think about it.

Much credit must go to acting. Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassell, and Albert Dupontel are all very good and realistic, and the dialogue is largely improvised making each scene more genuine and affecting. Bellucci and Cassell were married at the time the movie was made and their intimacy underscores the relationship of their characters and their erotic scenes together are very natural and lovely. (the tunnel scene and its peculiar rapist, however, underscores rape as an act of violence, not sexuality, and Bellucci deserves kudos with her brave portrayal of this traumatizing episode.)

This review is too long already, I have to stop but I feel like I could write a book. I don't know anything about movies anyway. SO. In one sense, it's hard to recommend this movie -- but you can probably say ex ante whether your experience with "Irreversible" will be rewarding (whether you enjoy the film or not). You may stay far away, and you may turn it off during the first 45 minutes, finding it too unbearable. And no doubt, it is deeply upsetting, but I would like to think that most people would be able to "handle" this, and an intelligent viewer should be able to appreciate the violence in context. Therefore in another sense, I highly recommend "Irreversible". It's simply an amazing film. You will not exactly enjoy it, but it will haunt you for days if not weeks or longer, and provoke introspection of which few other films are capable.

LIST: Nine Most Disturbing Films

WARNING: The following article contains some frank discussion regarding the peak of disturbing cinema.


The review for A Serbian Film has gotten a lot of feedback from readers. Many have requested a list of other disturbing films. Of course, making such a list might seem pointless. After all, if you have seen A Serbian Film, there is really nothing as disturbing as that. If you are on a quest to see the "most disturbing film," you've already reached the end of the journey.

Nonetheless, let us assume you want to some disturbing films with some value aside from whether or not they are the "most disturbing ever," since even I can admit that watching movies for that reason alone is kind of crass.

So, after much consideration, I hereby present the following list of the "Most Disturbing Films." Now everyone's idea of "disturbing" is different, and a few criteria have been used here. These fit into the "disturbing violence" category, and are not disturbing for other reasons. For example, the film Kids is disturbing, for reasons other than overt violent content, but a film like that will not appear on this list. Also, the movie must be "good" in addition to being disturbing. There are all too many movies that are just "gross" but they aren't any good, so who cares?


9. CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST

Our first entry in this list is borderline trash. On the surface, it's a rather exploitative and distasteful horror film. On a deeper level... well, it's pretty much the same. Yet it does create a genuine sense of horror that is missing from more polished works. The faux documentary style is very effective and creates a compelling narrative structure.

This film has been banned in numerous countries. One of the reasons is that real animals were killed on film. Not being a believer in animal rights at all, I am not hugely concerned by the fact that they killed animals on film and then ate them. Although it is certainly gross when they cut apart the turtle and eat it.

Instead, the main boost to the disturb-o-meter is that there are many scenes of legendary graphic horror -- there is a disturbing abortion ritual, a rape committed with some crude implement, the victim of a gruesome impalement, and the chaotic climax where bloodthirsty cannibals converge on the film crew. There is also interesting fact that the "civilized" people are painted as the real monsters for the bulk of the film. They run around razing, raping, and killing with apparent glee. That is more disturbing in some ways than cannibals simply eating people.


8. CUTTING MOMENTS





This shocking short film is a nightmarish parody of suburban life. It's not entirely clear to me what the meaning of this film is, but it scarred me deeply nonetheless. It depicts a dysfunctional family where the mother seems distraught by a lack of family communication and profound lack of affection from her husband. It is not explicitly stated, but it is implied that the husband has a sick interest in his son. Somehow, this evolves into a situation where the wife feels the only way to provoke her husband's lust is to mutilate herself, which, strangely, seems to work. It culminates in graphic mutilation during sex, leaving you with a shocking image you won't soon forget. If this movie doesn't make you cringe, you are way too jaded.


7. I STAND ALONE

Gaspar Noe is an outlaw director. His films provoke powerful responses, both positive and negative. Of the two films of his that appear on this list, I Stand Alone is the inferior of the two. Arguably, however, it is higher on the disturb-o-meter. Maybe. The amount of violence in this film is pretty low. However, the acts of violence themselves are extreme. The protagonist beats his pregnant girlfriend, punching her repeatedly in the abdomen while declaring, "Your baby's hamburger meat now!" He later envisions a sick violent fantasy in which he murders his disabled daughter to "protect her" or some such nonsense. All this is bad enough, but the reason this is really offensive is just because the main character is quite possibly the most awful person I have ever seen on film. He hates everything -- his life, his job, his girlfriend, and really all the people around him. He blames everyone else for his misery, but he lacks the maturity to recognize that he is responsible for his own failures. The film is largely narrated by this guy, who you have to follow along with the supremely spiteful But wait! Even this man, so consumed with loathing for self and others, manages to show love and tenderness at the end -- albeit not in a way that people should be showing their love. So might we venture to say that this film has a 'happy' ending? Well, that might be too much of a stretch...

6. ANTICHRIST

Much has been said about the graphic sex and violence in Antichrist. It is certainly disturbing in a profound way (especially for a dude) when a man's testicles are smashed with a block of wood, and has a hole drilled through his leg. Likewise, it is extra nasty when a woman jerks off her tortured husband and makes him ejaculate blood.But the disturbing-factor with Antichrist goes much deeper than graphic depictions of physical abuse. The "therapy" that the husband provides to his wife before things turn violent but there is the "therapy" the husband provides to his wife, which seems to be a form of subtle emotional abuse. Although they have lost their son to a tragic accident, he seems to imply she is wrong to be traumatized. In the twisted Bizarro world of Antichrist, the one spouse torments the other with rationalizations and psychobabble rather than provide emotional support for the death of a child.

5. MEN BEHIND THE SUN



Supposedly based on the true story of a Japanese prison camp in China during World War II, this film depicts shocking medical experiments. In terms of nasty graphic gruesomeness, this film is hard to beat. There is what appears to be actual autopsy footage, an especially gross scene involving a pressure chamber, and the classic "cat scene" in which hundreds of swarming rats attack a cat. This film is actually pretty decent overall, as it is also an important reminder of the true evil that manifests during war and conquest.

4. SALO, OR THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM

If ever there was a film to make one feel miserable about humanity, this is it! A bunch of fascist assholes round up a group of teens and take them to a castle for several days of diabolic torture and rape. This film is actually not all that graphic and explicitly violent compared to other films on this list. There is mutilation, murder, forced coprophagia, and sexual assaults, but the depictions are not as bad as you might imagine... Still, few movies are more upsetting than Salo. I think this is because it depicts villains so utterly drunk with power that nothing is beyond the pale to them.

3. IRREVERSIBLE




Not only is this movie disturbing, it is amazingly powerful on an emotional level. It is a "rape & revenge" movie told in reverse, so it starts with the revenge and then moves through the events that led up to it. But the "revenge" is not satisfying, and the rape is even more awful when you get to the last scene in the film (the first scene in the story). For a more comprehensive review, see here.


2. HENRY - PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER



This is the best serial killer movie you will ever see. It does not have a lot of graphic violence, although the home invasion scene is truly harrowing. Instead, it is disturbing because it just seems so... realistic? I mean, I don't know any real serial killers, but Henry seems like the real deal. Yes, you could watch the August Underground series for the most gruesome and "shocking" serial killer movies, but those are just disgusting trash. They aren't disturbing in any serious way. Henry is subtly and profoundly disturbing, from the simple way he coldly stalks strangers as potential victims to how he plans to avoid capture to his actual carrying out of murder. The shoe-string budget actually gives more credence to the whole realistic atmosphere.


1. A SERBIAN FILM

See my review. What more can be said? You would never think that a horror film with such depravity could be good at all. But it is a great film in its own way, and there is nothing more intensely shocking and disturbing.

X. SAILOR MOON R - THE MOVIE

After watching all these messed up movies, you will need something that makes you feel good about life. Something that shows the power of kindness and friendship. Plus you will need epic anime battles to make it awesome. So watch this movie. BUT FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, don't watch the American version. It's for whiny little losers. JAPANESE ORIGINAL ONLY.

BOOK REVIEW: The Stone Angel, by Margaret Laurence

"The most unbelievably awful book ever written -- THINK OF THE CHILDREN!"

Poor Canadian kids in the PRISONS otherwise known as ALBERTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS. They are forced to read this book. Pardon my language, but giving the title of "shittiest fucking book ever" to The Stone Angel is not a stretch. I have read some truly bad novels in my time, but The Stone Angel is simply horrifying. Never has there been a more repulsive protagonist than Hagar, a neurotic, arrogant, despicable old woman. The book is told in a series of intermittent flashbacks that seem pointless in conjunction with Hagar's current situation (which is that her family wants to put her in a nursing home). Hell, she is so miserable and and disgusting that instead of a nursing home, they should put her in a barn.

At first I was mildly interested by the florid writing style, but the book soon made me numb (it actually caused me physical pain). The reason for this is that the Hagar of The Stone Angel's story is the most repulsive fictional creation I've ever beheld. Hagar's bloated idiocy renders her ineffably repellent after just a few chapters. Vivid descriptions of her rotting bowels spewing putrid gas is just nasty. Yet most chapters put forth considerable description of her nasty flatulence. Yuck. Being 90 years old, her thoughts and dialogue are completely separated from reason, destroying any interest a person could have in the progress of the story. Her flashbacks further reinforce her overweening nature. There are no flashbacks of when she was a nice young lady -- she was miserable and arrogant always. I suppose this book has merit if you wish to enter the mind of a 90-year old arrogant woman whose logical faculties have been shattered, but who really wants to read about that? I mean, subject is not inherently uninteresting, but this character is just gross. Sure it's realistic (for which some reviews have credited it), but why on earth does anyone care about a cantankerous old hag with bowel problems? Talk about the ultimate anti-hero!

By the end of the novel, Hagar recognizes that she is a loathsome human being and attempts to reconcile that fact with herself. However, all throughout the book, there is no indication that this realization is flowering. All of a sudden, it just occurs spontaneously. Such a hackneyed literary attempt at character revelation. This is both incredibly unrealistic and incredibly disappointing for a reader who has put up with the dross of this novel for 250 pages (give or take). Apparently Laurence realized that her character was beyond hope so she endeavored to hammer in an epiphany that could justify her tedious banter that protracted the horrible, horrible book.

Some will surely argue that the book deserves stars for style and canny art sensibility. I disagree. Stylistic merit is only a virtue when anchored by a story and characters that don't sicken the person reading the book. This book belongs in the garbage and all remaining copies should be rounded up and destroyed. This book proves the necessity of abolishing public schools. The damage done to children's minds by forcing them to read about a farting old hag is just too great to ignore.

MUSIC REVIEW: Rush - A Farewell to Kings

"Add this to a list of 'Rush's Best.'"


While 2112 was the first Rush song I ever heard, A Farewell To Kings was the first Rush album I owned (the store didn't have 2112 at the time). Sentimentally, it's a favorite because it was among my first progressive rock albums, but beyond the gushiness I still love this album because it's great music.

For a band that critics hated, Rush had quite a following at this point, picking up numerous fans who'd been dazzled by the band's stunning musicianship, philosophical reflection typically disguised as fantasy/sci-fi stories (but not always...sometimes it was just a story), and the fact that they freakin' rocked. A Farewell To Kings produced one of the band's most popular songs, "Closer to the Heart," which continues to receive the attention of classic rock radio stations all over the place. I don't use superlatives too much, but I must say that this is the best rock song under three minutes EVER. The socially conscious title track squeezes a lot of "progression" into a 5 minute song. The highlights of this album are the mesmerizing epic "Xanadu" and the rockin' space adventure known as "Cygnus X-1, Book I." Even though the latter is best appreciated as a precursor to the phenomenal "Hemispheres," it's a great song even on its own. The first movement is ominous, the second is catchy and exciting, and the third is an insane rhythmic assault underscoring Lee's screaming vocals.

Finally, like most of Rush's work, this really doesn't sound dated at all, despite being released in the late 70s. Timeless music is great music!

Critics are retarded. Rush rules. Or something. But I'm pretty sure I'm right.

MUSIC REVIEW: Power of Metal [compilation]

"Awesome live Conception tracks."

I am a sick, sick Conception fan, evidenced by the fact that I paid an insane amount of money just to get the five Conception songs on this disc. Now this release is totally obscure and out of print. But if you can get lucky enough to find it, AND you are a mad Conception fiend, you need it. Hearing Conception live just affirms their stature as one of my favorite bands. Vocalist Khan doesn't seem like the kind of guy who'd be powerful in the live forum, but he rocks. All of these overt metal tracks are from the band's CD, Parallel Minds, which rocks, although the studio versions seem tepid in comparison to the awesome live ones. I know nothing about the other bands, so I won't comment, but I don't listen to them anyway. If you're a sick, twisted Conception fan like myself, get this. I will use the argument of intimidation: If you don't this, you aren't a *real* Conception fan (hehe).

MUSIC REVIEW: Buckethead - Monsters & Robots

"A truly great guitar player."

As a music lover I admire technical guitar albums that do nothing but show off amazing skill. Still, as a listener, I get a bit impatient with such indulgence if the songwriting isn't good. That is why listening to Buckethead's music is such a pleasure for me. He'll stun you with technique, but he'll also catch your ear with his great melodies. Beyond the thrash, funk, and rock you might except from Buckethead, things gets pretty weird too. Rap? Kung-fu music? Only Buckethead can take these things and combine them into a successful product like this. Awesome songs, awesome talent. Buckethead is da man.

MUSIC REVIEW: Vanden Plas - Far Off Grace

"Fine music, unfortunate singer."

Vanden Plas lingers in the ether realm between progressive metal and power metal, with tendency to lean more to the former, although some of the arrangements favor the forthright approach of the latter. Their musicianship shines and they incorporate some interesting ideas into their music. Being the fastidious listener I am, I found several deleterious factors beyond the prima facie virtues. My biggest problem with the album is the vocalist (and I'm really picky about that). He's a decent singer I guess. I just can't stretch myself to say he fits Vanden Plas' heavy, aggressive musical direction. His range is terribly thin, leaving him with a high, impotent sound. So, while he sings well, he lacks a fierceness that would have fit the music, or a soaring quality found in singers like James LaBrie and Geoff Tate.

The music, however, shines. Mostly. Well, sometimes. It features some beautiful piano quotes and some cool touches (like the Eastern influence of "Fields of Hope") among the fiery, relentlessly crunchy riffs. Even so, much of the music is disappointingly straightforward, almost mechanical in the way the band executes riff after riff with the requisite synthed accompaniment (which rarely adds anything to the song). Nearly every song is 5-6 minutes, which hardly keeps the album fresh from track to track...especially with music like this. Combined with the kind of muddy guitar tone, the things quickly grow tiresome. The corny ballad "I Don't Miss You" is totally lame.

Far Off Grace is might be worth checking out if you're into this kind of music (I know I am), but that recommendation doesn't change my admonition. Wimpy vocals and general tedium undermine the album's quality. Too bad.

MUSIC REVIEW: Ice Age - The Great Divide

"A band with promise."

These days, the most difficult challenge for a progressive rock/metal band is finding its own unique sound. While some bands succeed, but most fail. While Ice Age fails to generate originality, they are good musicians and they write good songs, evoking I&W-era Dream Theater (lots of string synths, keyboard-guitar unison lines) at times and Rush at others. The production, while muddy at times, complements the band's energy. The vocalist has talent, and at times he sounds great, but there's times when he tries to sing beyond his abilities (not cool).

"Perpetual Child," a heavy and crunchy song seething with energy... energy that much of the album lacks. Hard to follow up a song that good. That's not to say there's no other impressive material here. "Spare Chicken Parts," while perhaps unfocused and too ostentatious, is an exciting instrumental. "Ice Age" is great hard-edged progressive music, with all it's varied constituents molded together nigh-perfectly. "To Say Goodbye" is the appropriately grand album closer (lots of great piano in this one). (Note that these are all the album's longest songs, totaling nearly 40 minutes.)

I haven't really warmed up to the rest of the album. Maybe I won't. Although the band is skilled, I find the shorter songs fail to be all that stimulating. It appears that when the band is not writing epic pieces with ambition and lush orchestrations, they meet with less success. Still, this is a worthwhile album that makes a good impression, for the most part. I've heard that the band's follow-up, Liberation, is much better than this one, and I'm inclined to check it out. The Great Divide shows a band with promise, so it would be no surprise that Liberation reveals flowering ability.

MUSIC REVIEW: Queensryche - Empire

"Empire is commercial, and darn good too."

Many of the Queensryche fans who loved the band for their heavy metal days despise this album, but that doesn't change the fact that one of the most listenable rock albums of the 90s. Yes, Queensryche went commercial, but they maintained their high standard of excellence that made them so distinguished when they were a brash heavy metal band. Other metal bands went commercial, and they turned into crap. Queensryche remained excellent... at least at first. Geoff Tate sings in lower ranges this time around (making the band's music more accessible to those outside of the heavy metal crowd), and his emotional clarity and skill that made him one of the best metal singers carries over and makes him one of the best rock vocalists. The band shows tremendous versatility in crossing over to the mainstream. Chris DeGarmo, the group's principal writer, has a keen sense of balancing commercial appeal with quality. It really shows here.

"Anybody Listening?" is my favorite song here. Slow and heavy, it is an introspective examination of the loneliness and sadness that accompanies life in the spotlight. It ranks "up there" with my other favorite 'Ryche songs, "Roads to Madness" and "Eyes of a Stranger." "Silent Lucidity" (about dream control, of all things) is the group's best-known song, and it resonates emotion with simple yet exquisite musicianship, validating the fact that a band smacked into the "heavy metal" genre can still write beautiful music. In fact, all the songs here evince astute emotional expression. Although I've never liked "One and Only" due to cheese-factor, the rest of this album is truly some of the best hard rock you'll ever hear.