Album Review: Decyfer Down's The Other Side of Darkness

Decyfer Down has had an interesting history. The only original members since the band first form are the two guitarist and everyone has changed since their first Album, End of Grey (Which is a fantastic album). Their album before this one, Scarecrow, was not really impressive to me and it felt like the band lost what made them stand out. Their new album, The Other Side of Darkness, that released earlier in this month reminds me of what makes them stand out and that they haven't lost that element. I was almost in tears when hearing this album for the first time.

The guitar work is the best part of this album. It is the low tuning and heavy riffs that really made their first album stand out to me. It gives me a new sense of headbanging music that I could not sit still while listening, but still was not afraid to soften itself in songs where it needed it.

The singer has finally found his element. Scarecrow felt weak because it felt like the vocalist was trying too hard to be someone else, and not use his own vocal talent. He learned his lesson! His voice now adds kind of a smooth, Southern Rock style to go with the heavy guitars and it surprisingly complements it in the best way possible.

Bass and Drums also stand out and make the rhythm just as important to the mix. So many young bands forget that a bassist and drummer (or lack thereof) can make or break a band. These new members know what they are doing and they truly stand out on their own.

As an added bonus: They did an acoustic version of one of my favorite song from their first album for this one at the very end. It felt like a beautiful tribute to members that left the band over the years.

Final Verdict: 9/10! The reason it isn't perfect is because the Christian message the band shares may not appeal to everyone, but I can't pick a song I didn't like. Definitely check it out!

Album Review: Devour the Day's S.O.A.R

When a band is still young, they can either develop into something unique to their genre or fade into the rest of the others because they don't have anything that stands out about them. Sadly, a band I had hope for still hasn't found that thing that makes them unique.

You can try to argue that a new band takes two albums to do that, but bands like Breaking Benjamin, RED, and even Flyleaf has had something that made them stand out on their first album and have developed that further. Devour the Day has yet to find that thing with their second album, S.O.A.R.

It is 10 songs and only 2 of them sound different from the others. That is something that really needs attention. This is a hard rock band and I got bored listening to them.

The guitar work is good rhythm, but nothing special about lead. Their isn't a guitar riff or even a solo that stands out and with that it all fades together. Drums and bass hold the beat, but that is it.

The lyrics aren't even interested. They use analogies that have already been used and nothing is really that interesting with the writing. If Devour the Day doesn't want to fade into obscurity, they need to change it up and make themselves stand out. Right now, they aren't doing that.

Final Verdict: 5/10. Sadly average for a band that really needs to find something that can make them stand out.

Songs I liked: Lightning in the Sky, Save Yourself
Songs I don't Recommend: Step Aside, Quicksand, S.O.A.R

Movie Review: Batman: Under The Red Hood

That's right! My favorite Superhero movie is not only a Batman movie, but a direct to DVD animated film. Where Marvel has been doing well with Hollywood release features, DC Comics has been giving us something better in other formats. The best example is in fact this movie, Batman: Under The Red Hood. When I first saw it, I had one nitpick about it. As I watched it again and again, that nitpick was gone and I began to love it more and more.

I'm not going to do a pros and cons kind of review this time because I really don't have any cons to this movie. Instead, I am going to talk about all the good and even mention a bit of a warning to those who have not seen it.

The film looks and sounds better than even some Hollywood animated films. It has your attention throughout. The voice acting is top notch. People who are popular on TV shows more than movies are providing some voice acting that matches the characters perfectly. Jensen Ackles (Supernatural) and Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) are two actors that are a part of this film and they match the characters they are given and makes them feel realistic, even for an animated feature. The one voice actor I first had an issue with was John DiMaggio as the Joker, but when I watched it the second time, I understood his interpretation of the Joker and it is now my favorite Joker, next to Mark Hamill's portrayal of the character in the original animated series in the 90s. Bruce Greenwood voices Batman and it is his first time doing it, but it is incredible. He sounds like Batman in the way he should with a film and story like this.

The movie is only 75 minutes long, but that means no filler! Everything contained within the movie is plot focused and keeps the story movie without delaying it (take note Marvel). There are no plot holes. It follows it's comic book story line and keeps it focused on just the one movie instead of trying to introduce a sequel. The ending is open, but solely to say that Batman's adventures are far from over. We will see more Batman and we will always get more material from this character.

Another thing this movie does is not only introduce us to character Hollywood hasn't even done, but has given us a character Warner Bros. has avoided for a long time; Jason Todd, the second Robin. The Batman Animated series we all know and love gave us Dick Grayson (The First Robin who became Nightwing) and Tim Drake (The Third Robin) and skipped Jason Todd. Why would they do that, some people may wonder. It was because Jason Todd was much more violent and rebellious than the rest of them and was the only one who officially died. This character is what Batman believes to be his biggest failure. I'm not going to spoil anymore because it is an amazing story.

This movie catches 2 things other Batman movies have failed to do; show Batman as a detective (think of one film that has truly highlighted that from Hollywood), and show what the relationship between Batman and Robin really is. Batman and Robin are more than just mentor and student, it is Father and Son. Bruce Wayne took in children who were recently orphaned or came from trouble upbringing, showed them a better life, and trained them to someday become heroes and icons as well.

This movie makes you think about your own life. Seeing a character like Batman, one we painted in our heads as the greatest Superhero of all time, face his failures and own up to his mistakes, made me want to do the same thing. Nobody is perfect, everyone is human, we all make mistakes and who better to show us that than the icon of most people childhood.

Warning: This movie has some brutal scenes. Even though it has the PG-13 rating, it is on the border between that and the R rating. The movie even starts with a scene that is kind of hard to watch if you are a young kid. It can be brutal and violent at time, much like the comic.

Overall: If you have not seen this movie, I urge you to see it. I even have a copy of it if you need to borrow it. If you are not a fan of violence, I still recommend it. It capture everything that makes a great movie and leave a mark to do better. I do not know if we will get anymore good DC films from Hollywood, but I am more than satisfied with what I have gotten already from the direct to DVD films, and this is my favorite above all of them.

Movie Review: The Avengers

Superhero movies can be either fresh and interesting, or a repeat of previous films. When it is fresh and interesting, it stand out and makes you want to actually read comic books. When it is a repeat, it just makes you want to wait until the next movie and hope they backpedal to fix the problems of the first film. No company is more guilty of that than Marvel. Yes, I don't like Marvel's Cinematic Universe. While it is impressive that all the films connect, one of them struggles to stand well on their own.

Where we got some good stand alone movies, like Iron Man and Guardians of The Galaxy, all the sequels tend to repeat the same plot while leaving some plot holes to be filled by the sequel. However, people tend to ignore it and just say "It's perfect! You have to love Marvel!" And I say, "You are wrong." Marvel is not perfect. They are just as flawed as other movies are.

To prove it, I am taking apart what some have called, The Best Superhero Movie of All Time, The Avengers. Where I liked the movie the first time I saw it, every time I watched it after... My eyes kind of started seeing the problems behind all the flare.

The Pros: There is nothing wrong with the casting in these movies. All the actors properly portray the characters we got in the comics. The action is eye candy and can be enjoyed by just watching it. When I first saw it, I was sucked into solely the action and I ignored all the problems. It is also our first time seeing Hawkeye in action. He is the best lesser known Marvel character out there and it is nice to see he is well represented. It is quick to catch your attention, so it is good if you need a movie to distract you. Thor is my favorite character in the movie. He is well represented by Chris Hemsworth and he does have the best lines in the movie.

The Cons: The characters are poorly written. Iron Man is a prick, Captain America is a Boy Scout, Nick Fury has no personality outside of yelling and complaining, Black Widow is a cock tease. and Loki is a bratty child. If you met anyone like them in real life, you would think the same way. That is the difference between a good character and a bad character. The action, even of impressive, is just CGI. I have seen movies, like Transformers and Man of Steel, get crap from critics for the use of CGI, and this movie gets a free pass when it looks exactly the same, even worse in some cases. There are some huge plot holes throughout the film. For example, what is the Tesseract? We hear what it can do and it's functions, but what is it? The movie explains nothing about it and  it is crucial item for the plot. This is the same plot as all the Iron Man movies; The hero is introduced, the hero makes a mistake, bad things happen, the hero makes a resolve, the day is saved, and an open end announcing a sequel. This was so well received Marvel has repeated it over and over again after this movie with all their sequels. I haven't like a Marvel movie sequel after this one for that reason.

Final Thoughts: I don't like this movie, but I know I am a minority. People have their reasons for liking them and I will respect that. For some, it may be an incredible movie, but for me, it is nothing special. My favorite Superhero movie will be brought up Monday March 28th. 

Movie Review: X-Men: Days of Future Past

Welcome to Super Hero month!

The X-Men film franchise had been interesting for more than one reason. Where none of them have 100% followed the comics, they have still been proven to be some of the better comic based movies in the market today... except for X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. However, I don't think I would benefit by talking about those two movies, because after those movies we got three more movies that proved to be leagues better and have given us something great as stand alone movies. Those movies being X-Men: First Class, The Wolverine, and today's movie, X-Men: Days of Future Past.

I picked this movie not because I liked it, but because it was also my favorite movie of 2014. Think about that... 2014 gave us Godzilla, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Fault in Our Stars, The Lego Movie, and How to Train Your Dragon 2, and This is my favorite film to have come out that year.

The Pros: It is a completed story, which is hard for any sequel to do. However, because of the subject the film presents, it works better than any other sequel I have seen. Time Travel is very hard to present properly, but this movie managed to do it incredibly well without plot holes. We see both old and new characters in this film franchise. Even though not all of them get speaking lines or anything like that, the scenes still work really well without dialogue. The Sentinels! I have been wanting to see this things since the original X-Men movie came out, and they are threatening! You see just what they can do at the beginning of the movie and it gives you a full understanding of the threat that is present among these characters. Magneto! This is still one of the best written characters I have seen from Marvel and both Ian Mckellen and Michael Fassbender shows us just that. The cast still shows us all the powerful characters we loved in previous movies. When we see something tragic, or scary for the character, we feel it. Every character death hits hard! That is what it is supposed to do and I loved that when I first saw it and when I watched it again before writing this review. When a new power is presented, they do their best to explain that and I appreciate that. This movie has some of the best CGI I have ever seen and mixed practical effects into the movie as well, making the visuals fantastic. It is a great film to look at and it feels good on the eyes.

The Cons: I myself do not see it as a con, but I'm sure others will and I'll get some person complaining about it. It is not 100% accurate with the comic. I have to argue this, would you have wanted to see it if it was about Kitty Pride (Shadow Cat) going into the past? Think about that.

Final Thoughts: I'm not going to give a number rating this month and see what happens, because I can't give any of these movies a number. I didn't think I would like this movie as much as I did. I was surprised by it and that is something I haven't had in a theater in a long time, because I see every movie without expectations and an open mind, even when watching something for a second or third time. This is the best X-Men movie when have ever gotten. I love this franchise and I am looking forward to whatever Bryan Singer and the guys at Fox give us next in this franchise.

Movie Review: The Bourne Legacy

Every great franchise always has a black sheep, one item not as good as the rest. Look at any franchise, whether it be movies or video games, that is not as well received by the fan base. For example, Star Wars has The Phantom Menace, Sonic the Hedgehog has Sonic Boom, Final Fantasy has Final Fantasy XIII, and the Bourne franchise has this movie, The Bourne Legacy.

Meant to be a side story that was taking place around the same time as the Bourne Ultimatum, The Bourne Legacy was meant to show us that Jason Bourne was not the only super assassin that was made. However, it wasn't as well received by critics or fans of the original trilogy. The question is, why? That is what I am hoping to answer. Is it as bad as people say it is? Well, yes and no.

For anyone wondering, I did watch the original trilogy and they are all fantastic action movies. The reason I am talking about this one instead of the original movies is because I have gotten a collective positive response to those, and mixed feelings on this one.

The Pros: The action scenes are still awesome, well shot and choreographed, as well as having very little CGI. They are still a blast to watch and enjoy. Most of the casting is really good. Edward Norton does a very good political villain and other side characters are also well acted. The movie also explains how the super assassins are created and what is needed for most of them. It also works as a good setup for the next movie coming out this year. The female lead in the movie was also a good character, just like in previous movies. She was very helpful and her actions made the plot move along in a good fashion.

The Cons: I don't know what it is, but I can't get behind Jeremy Renner as an assassin. I don't know if it is his bland character, Aaron Cross, or just his performance. I don't think I have seen a movie I liked him in. He's just one of those actors I don't personally like. He is boring to me. Before anyone mentions the Avengers, I promise, I am getting to that one. It borrows elements from previous Bourne movies that makes it feel formulaic. The building jumping, the silent assassin sent to kill him, the girl helping him, it felt a lot like The Bourne Ultimatum. The last action scene is pretty dragged as time goes on. As it goes, I found myself hoping it would just end and the last thing would be a fist fight between Aaron Cross and the silent assassin, but that didn't happen. It also leaves a huge plot hole, that I am hoping they filling in Jason Bourne (the fifth movie). The films biggest focus revolves around Aaron Cross is trying to get a medication he needs to still function and they are trying to make it so he doesn't need them. The question is, why didn't Jason Bourne need them. They are part of the same program, so why didn't Jason need them and Aaron did. Hopefully they explain that.

Final Thoughts: 6/10, I wanted to originally give it a 5/10, but the action scenes are too good to miss. It is definitely the weakest in the franchise, but it still has things to enjoy. I actually encourage people to see this and make their own opinion about it. I may not watch it again, but I understand why people do or don't like this movie.

Special Announcement: As far as movie reviews goes, the month of March will be my first focus month here on the blog, and I am putting a focus on Superhero movies. I have already picked my movies and here is how it will go. I will start with a recent comic book movie I liked, one I didn't like, and end the month with my favorite superhero movie of all time. I will let you, the readers, predict and guess what they are. Until next week!

Top 10 Video Games I like dispite what others have said.

Much like anime, a lot of people don't really ask me about video games as often as some would expect. One thing I believe is a bad thing for video games nowadays is a number rating system. There are games that are high rated and people don't like, or there are games that people do like that isn't a highly game. It doesn't mean people don't like good or they only like bad games.
Games like Superman 64 and ET for Atari are collectively hated because they do have problems, like glitches or have major struggles in controls, but I'm not talking about them. You may even find people who would rather play Call of Duty than Skyrim, and if you criticize these people, you are the problem. This is a list of games that I like even if they were not well critically accepted or rejected by the community. This one will have honorable mentions, but that will take place soon. Let's get started!

#10) The Simpsons: Hit and Run
When it comes to the Simpsons video games, most people talk about the arcade beat 'em up, or the Simpsons: Road Rage (which was a Crazy Taxi knock off), but as soon as this one comes up it is written off as a Grand Theft Auto knock off, but what if that is what I like about it? Overall, the game handles well and the classic Simpson humor is very present in the game instead of the violence and controversial content contained in Grand Theft Auto. I'm not one who plays super realistic games, and Hit and Run does not only give us some good game play and humor, it is kind of a nostalgia rush for the people who watch the Simpsons during the shows glory days. After the show constantly rehashes stories and jokes, making it feel old and boring, this game gives us the entire city of Springfield to explore and enjoy smart humor in dialogue and the things that remind you why the Simpsons used to be such a great shows.

#9) Assassin's Creed 3
This game wasn't said to be bad, but it was rated lower than previous games in the franchise. Yeah, the ending is kind of a disappointment, but I found myself caring more about the Connor story in early America than Desmond's story with the Pieces of Eden. I played it to explore the early colonies and I loved that part of it. Not to mention using more than a hidden blade to kill people. Oddly this game brings out my inner psycho in terms of thinking about ways to kill people... Why did I admit that in writing? Should I worry? No... I don't play it that often anyways. I'm still sane, even if people will question that with my next entry.

#8) Final Fantasy X-2
I'm not going to discuss Final Fantasy X on this list except for one thing; I hated the leveling system. Final Fantasy X-2 has a classic leveling system that feels like a classic Final Fantasy game that I fully enjoy in the older games.Not only that, but I loved the battle system that allowed me to switch classes in the middle of the battle. People who know me know that I love customizing characters and setting things up my way. This game allowed me to do that in a way that I enjoyed in a turn based system. It does have side quest and other things that I do enjoy in gaming that really makes a difference in my opinion and allows you to explore the world even more. The story may have it's issues, but I have never played a game for a story. Game play makes a game, not the story.

#7) Diablo 3
Remember what I just said, game play makes a game, not a story. Yes, this is also not a very good story, but who cares? The previous Diablo games didn't have very good stories either. I'm mentioning this in terms of the console version, instead of the PC version for two reason; I was more comfortable using the controller, and local co-op play. I love playing games with friends. I don't mean playing online with them. Sitting on the same couch, sharing potato chips or popcorn, and talking while enjoying a game together. Diablo 3 for the console gives us that. Not to mention how much you can really customize your character and they also all have their own personalities. It is hated by purest who think Diablo 2 was perfect, but I still really like this game.

#6) Deadpool: The Video Game
For most people, it was a disappointment. For me however, I only wanted one thing out of it... DEADPOOL!!! He is one of the few Marvel characters I actually like, not to mention how much I laughed playing this game. I do admit, that it can get repetitive if you do a marathon of the game, which is why play it in short spurts at a time. The game play is simple and I do enjoy the idea of upgrading the weapons you like. That is really all I have to say about this game.

#5) Star Fox: Adventures
Yes, there are so many jokes about this thanks to JonTron. However, I still oddly find myself enjoying this game. It has some challenging puzzles and it did introduce the Crystal character, who was pretty interesting as a character and got the Furry communities a little excited. Yes, it is very different from all the other Star Fox games, but I kind of enjoyed that part. I liked exploring the planet and being in physical combat instead of air battles. In a time where game companies are too scared to try something different, they took a chance with this one, and I honestly appreciate that. It does have problems, but I find the good triumphs over the bad.

#4) Super Mario Sunshine
Much like Star Fox adventures, they took a chance with this game and I think it paid off . I enjoyed using the water system and cleaning. It was also just eye candy to explore the island and do all the mini games and side quest contained in the over world. Sadly, I wasn't able to finish the game for one reason. My copy is corrupt and I can't even start a new game or progress in the game I have. I need to replace it. Otherwise. I enjoy playing it for the things it did different from other games and the things it did that was similar to previous games. I think it found kind of a middle ground in terms of trying something different, just not as well as the top 3 on my list.

#3) Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
This is a spin off series to Final Fantasy. With that in mind, it does not really play like a normal Final Fantasy. It took the more action approach to game play instead of turn based fighting, plus adding the challenge of living in a world that is toxic without a crystal to protect you. Yes, it is a bizarre story, but in the end. I found myself really enjoying the battle system and the exploration as well. It does the icon style of traveling where you pick a direction instead of just going that direction, and the cool thing are the random encounters where you meet more people who reside in this world. It is really cool that they did that you make you feel like you are not the only person on this journey. And did I mention creating a whole caravan. It customization isn't as extensive as other games, but I still had fun with creating 8 people to travel with and using my lead character. It has that purpose of multiple people in a caravan for multiplayer, I just wish you and three friends didn't need a Game Boy Advance and those connectors to the GameCube to use it. I still beat the story mode on single player, which is do-able, despite what others say.

#2) Custom Robo
This is a simple little game with a 3 hour story mode, but that is not why I played this game. I played it for the multiplayer. four friends can go to town and beat the crap out of each other with their own custom robots. You have so many options for weapons that you can really make a robot that is fit to your style and you can customize to battle on any style of map or field. I can remember playing with a friend recently, and we teamed up against CPU players because he was new to the game, and we were laughing and having a blast as we customized our characters and smack talked the CPU. I like this game for the social reasons. I love playing this game with other people, and I love being able to customize and experiment with tons of options. Heck, you could be a Robot Chicken with a flame thrower, and land mines and you would be a threat to other players. Those options are what makes this game so much fun.

Before revealing my number 1, let me talk about some honorable mentions:
HM 1- Kingdom Hearts 2- I love this game! My wife got me into the franchise and I have been a fan of all the games I've played. I am leaving it off the list, because any negative comment can be voided by something that is in the game that they didn't notice. I think people talk crap about it because they just want attention.
HM 2- Dragon Ball Z Sagas- I have some fond memories playing this game with my brother and us completing the story mode together, but I played it later and I was not a fan of it. I nowadays keep it for a bad game night.
HM 3- Shadow The Hedgehog- Yeah, I do have fun with the game in small spurts, but the story structure and other options just felt like it wasn't really worth finished. In the end, I didn't finish the game because I got bored of it after unlocking 3 endings.

Now, the people who know me and follow me on Facebook can pretty much tell that this is an obvious number 1 for me.

#1) Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
I love this game. It takes the things I mentioned liking in most of these game and puts them all into one. A simple leveling up system, exploration, customization, side quest, and things I haven't mentioned. I actually liked the story. It is kind of confusing if you avoid side quest that shed a little light on the story. Not to mention, I actually grew to love Lightning as a character. In her dialogue and experience you see some depth and progression to her character that some people must have missed. Instead of customizing one outfit of hers, you customize three and alternate between them in battle. It may sound confusing for an action RPG, but I had a fun time with it because it is actually simple. It takes all the problems that the previous games have and fixed them. Also, the timer thing is really not that bad. If nothing else, It feels realistic. Have you seen someone stay in one spot all day? I haven't. So going to people while they are in an area for a time makes sense. I protested this game when it was announced, and people tried to change my mind about it. When it came out, I saw some things in it I was actually curious about and made me think, "Maybe I should give it a chance." I bought it, played it for 30 minutes, paused, put down the controller, and admitted to myself and my wife, "I like this game." I have beaten it and I am replaying it with the new content unlocked to want to play it more. I'm going to end up doing a video about this game next year, when I have everything set up.

Well, that is it for my updates for the month of December and I think I found this to be a good way to end 2015. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year.