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Laughing Man

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Blog Entries posted by Laughing Man

  1. Laughing Man

    Interstellar

    By Laughing Man,

    haven't posted anything here for a while. figured this was worth posting at least.
     
    a couple of weeks ago I got the 3-disc collector's edition of Interstellar. comes in a really nice case with an art book and an authentic IMAX film cell.
     

     
    case 1 - case 2 - case back
  5. Laughing Man

    Jessica Jones

    By Laughing Man,

    AKA my new favorite piece of Marvel Cinematic Universe media
     
    I just wish they would've done a better job of actually, like, establishing that it's part of the MCU (besides a few vague offhand remarks)
     
    also Kilgrave for best/creepiest/most sadistic MCU villain. I'll never look at the Tenth Doctor the same way ever again
  6. Laughing Man

    Katatonia

    By Laughing Man,

    following up on what I stated previously, I've finally finished off my Katatonia collection for now. I'd like to get the digipak reissues of Discouraged Ones and Tonight's Decision as well as the For Funerals to Come EP at some point, but for now I've got all of the studio albums in one form or another so I'm pleased.
     
    from the top to the bottom:
     
    - Dance of December Souls (2007 remaster + Jhva Elohim Meth EP)
    - Brave Murder Day (2006 remaster + Sounds of Decay EP)
    - Discouraged Ones (Century Black US pressing)
    - Tonight's Decision
    - Last Fair Deal Gone Down (Icarus Argentina pressing)
    - Last Fair Deal Gone Down (10th Anniversary Edition)
    - Viva Emptiness (Icarus Argentina pressing)
    - Viva Emptiness (10th Anniversary Edition)
    - The Great Cold Distance
    - Night Is the New Day (2011 Tour Edition)
    - Dead End Kings
    - Dethroned & Uncrowned
     
    one thing to note is that the Icarus Argentina pressing of Last Fair Deal Gone Down is technically no longer mine, as last night I sold it to The Xinlo, pending shipment within the next week. as the recently-acquired 10th Anniversary Edition uses the exact same mastering and includes the same artwork, this previous copy was rendered obsolete in my collection.
     
    I got a picture of my In Flames collection at the same time I got pictures of this, so I'll probably be posting that sometime soon.
  9. Laughing Man
    just finished watching it
     
    I guess it's to be expected, but it wasn't all that great
     
    it wasn't necessarily a terrible movie, either, it just
     
    the whole thing just seemed very uncharacteristic for L and I feel like they could've done a solo spinoff movie a lot better
     
    like L generally just kind of doesn't go around in public showing his face and getting involved in high-paced action sequences involving bio-terrorists, he's a mysterious and secretive detective who solves impossible crimes entirely from his hideout
     
    if I had to stack it up against Death Note and The Last Name, which I'd give a 3.5/5 and a 4/5 respectively, I think it'd probably get a weak 2.5/5 overall
  10. Laughing Man

    Lamb of God

    By Laughing Man,

    another opportunity for a collection entry has presented itself with the release of Lamb of God's latest album, VII: Sturm und Drang ("storm and stress" in German) on Friday.
     
    I was interested to hear how the various circumstances the band went through within the last few years would affect the songwriting - frontman Randy Blythe (also a presidential candidate in 2012) was arrested, held, tried, and eventually acquitted for manslaughter in the Czech Republic, stemming from the accidental death of a stage-diving audience member at one of their shows. those dark days are indeed reflected in the lyrics of the new album, but also in the songwriting as well - it is, in my opinion, the fiercest, darkest, most caustic album they've done since 2004's Ashes of the Wake and probably my favorite since that album. really good stuff.
     

     
    top to bottom:
     
    - Burn the Priest (2006 reissue; self-titled debut released under the band's original name)
    - New American Gospel (2005 reissue)
    - As the Palaces Burn
    - Ashes of the Wake
    - Sacrament (producer edition featuring a bonus disc of song stems)
    - Wrath
    - Resolution
    - As the Palaces Burn 10th Anniversary Edition (remixed/remastered reissue featuring bonus DVD)
    - VII: Sturm und Drang (FYE-exclusive deluxe edition featuring bonus tracks and bonus disc of instrumental versions)
  13. Laughing Man
    "For Those of You Who Kill" by Aftershock!
     
    Aftershock was a pioneering underground metalcore band active during the late 90s/early 2000s and perhaps best known for featuring several future members of Killswitch Engage, including guitarist Joel Stroetzel, former drummer Tom Gomes, and most notably lead guitarist and primary songwriter Adam Dutkiewicz.
     
    in addition to Adam, however, Aftershock also featured his brother Toby Dutkiewicz on vocals - who, as I detailed here, is now known for being an art director at Lego after whom the Bionicle character Tobduk was named. seems like a logical career progression to me!
     
    still, my favorite contribution to the Lego world that Mr. Dutkiewicz has made is and always will be the
    , the song for which he wrote. consider this a Song of the Moment two-for-one special.
  16. Laughing Man

    M83

    By Laughing Man,

    from top to bottom:
     
    - Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts (US edition with bonus disc)
    - Before the Dawn Heals Us
    - Saturdays = Youth
    - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
    - Junk
     
    also owned digitally: the Oblivion original motion picture soundtrack. pretty dull soundtrack for a pretty dull movie, although the title track featuring Susanne Sundfør is still one of my favorite M83 songs.
     
    I'm currently missing Digital Shades Vol. 1, which is a short instrumental ambient album and not really a full-blown studio album, as well as the self-titled debut which is just kind of okay and probably the least interesting thing they've ever done.
     
    the new album Junk is easily the weakest M83 album yet from a songwriting standpoint, and it's getting extremely mixed reviews. while it's definitely a huge disappointment coming 5 years after the near-masterpiece Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, I personally enjoy it for what it is: a collection of schlocky, tongue-in-cheek pop songs that pay tribute to the cheesiest aspects of late-70s/early-80s music and culture.
  17. Laughing Man

    Machine Head

    By Laughing Man,

    I got their new album and completed my collection of their only good ones.
     
    nope, I'm not missing any albums at all. third and fourth albums? what third and fourth albums?
     
    from top to bottom:
     
    - Burn My Eyes
    - The More Things Change...
    - Through the Ashes of Empires (US edition with bonus track "Seasons Wither")
    - The Blackening (2-disc special edition with two bonus cover tracks)
    - Unto the Locust
    - Bloodstone & Diamonds
     
    no, but seriously, this collection is technically incomplete. you couldn't even pay me to buy The Burning Red or Supercharger.
  18. Laughing Man
    casting Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor in Batman/Superman seems like a weird idea until you realize that he's actually the same age as Henry Cavill
     
    if he plays the character anything like he played Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, though, I can see him pulling it off pretty well
  19. Laughing Man
    so completely out of nowhere the BBC has announced that Matt Smith will not be returning for series eight and that the Doctor Who 2013 Christmas special will mark his final appearance as the eleventh Doctor.
     
    this is contrary to what had previously been stated by both the BBC and Smith himself - not too long ago, it had been stated that Smith, Coleman, and Moffat would all be returning for series eight.
     
    pretty disappointing.
  21. Laughing Man

    Megadeth

    By Laughing Man,

    recently bought up the last few albums I needed and finally finished my collection for one of my top 10 favorite bands of all time.
     
    left stack, top to bottom:
     
    - Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! (1990 pressing which omits "These Boots". might get another copy eventually that includes it.)
    - Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?
    - So Far, So Good... So What!
    - Rust in Peace (one of my favorite albums ever)
    - Countdown to Extinction
    - Youthanasia
    - Hidden Treasures (B-sides/rarities compilation EP)
    - Cryptic Writings (HDCD pressing)
     
    right stack, top to bottom:
     
    - Risk (remixed & remastered version. I hate this album, but if I had to choose, I'd say this version is more tolerable because it removes some of the ill-advised synths.)
    - The World Needs a Hero
    - The System Has Failed
    - Greatest Hits: Back to the Start (signed by frontman Dave Mustaine)
    - United Abominations
    - Endgame (best album they've done since RiP)
    - Th1rt3en
    - Super Collider (Best Buy edition with three bonus tracks and a 3D cover. not a very good album though.)
     
    here's hoping that the new album they're recording now will be just as good as Endgame, if not better.
  22. Laughing Man

    Meshuggah

    By Laughing Man,

    normally I post complete collections, but I'm very quickly running out of those so here's one that's only mostly complete.
     
    I'm currently missing the original 2002 version of Nothing, the EP I (which was just reissued last year, but I haven't been able to find it yet), and the Rare Trax compilation.
     

     
    from top to bottom:
     
    - Contradictions Collapse (2008 reissue with 4/5 of the None EP as bonus tracks)
    - Destroy Erase Improve (2008 reissue with the other 1/4 of the None EP as a bonus track, among others)
    - Chaosphere (2008 reissue with The True Human Design EP as bonus tracks)
    - Catch Thirtythree
    - Nothing (2006 remixed/remastered/partly re-recorded reissue)
    - ObZen
    - Koloss
     
    also owned, but not pictured:
     
    - Pitch Black EP (free digital download from Scion A/V, also included as bonus tracks on the 2014 reissue of the I EP)
  23. Laughing Man
    this past Tuesday marked the release of another shameful record label cash-grab Michael Jackson posthumous "album" consisting of songs that Jackson rejected and likely never would've wanted released, updated to modern pop radio "standards" and featuring vocals that may or may not even be the real King of Pop himself.
     
    like anyone who legitimately respected the man as an entertainer, instead of supporting corporate greed and the desecration of his legacy I've elected to use this occasion as an excuse (not that one is necessary) to instead reflect on what I consider the best years of his career, the Epic Records releases of Off the Wall through HIStory: Past, Present and Future Book I.
     
    in doing so I've decided to follow up my previous "album collection" blog entries with one dedicated to the King of Pop.
     

     
    (click for larger image)
     
    stack on left, top to bottom:
     
    - Off the Wall (special edition)
    - Thriller (special edition)
    - Bad (special edition)
    - Dangerous (special edition)
    - HIStory: Past, Present and Future Book I
    - This Is It (single-disc edition; technically a posthumous release, but it was one that Jackson himself had approved and been involved with before his death, so I count it as his final legitimate release.)
     
    on the right is the "collector's edition" released last year of Jackson's 2003 compilation Number Ones. although it resembles vinyl packaging, it's actually an 8x8 digipak housing a standard CD and featuring an 8x8 version of the album's booklet with "enhanced graphics".
     
    I've yet to pick up Invincible - honestly, I've been holding off on it because I simply find it to be a disappointing release. that said, I do plan on picking it up sometime soon along with Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix.
     
    as a side-note, writing this has reminded me that I never posted any pictures of my completed The Cure collection - my favorite band of all time with the largest amount of albums by a single artist I own to show for it. I'll probably do that soon.
  24. Laughing Man
    no pictures yet, but last night I picked up Michael Jackson's double studio/compilation album HIStory: Past, Present and Future Book I on CD for $4 from a local music shop, thus completing my Epic Records-era Michael Jackson collection (with the exception of 2001's Invincible which is non-essential and frankly not very good).
     
    here's one of my favorite tracks from the studio album portion of HIStory, titled HIStory Continues, which is Jackson's excellent cover of The Beatles' "Come Together":
     
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pk9CEG-_eM
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