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Linkin Park: Live in Texas (2003)
LP fans will have a fun time, but won't do much for casual listener
Live in Texas is Linkin Park's first live CD/DVD set. And as the title would suggest, it was recorded over two days on their tour with Metallica.
The set-list was well chosen and covers most of the best songs from Hybrid Theory and Meteora. And also includes the 'Re-Animated' version of Pushing Me Away, which surprisingly turns out to be the highlight of the set. Chester's singing is great and his screaming is up-to-par with the record for the most part, but in the bridge of Place for My Head, it sounded kind of bad. However, his vocals are near perfect on With You.
Brad does his thing well, adding a bit extra here and there, Rob nails his drums, and Pheonix stands there playing his bass and moves around from time totime, but the true standouts of the show are Mr. Hann and Mike Shinoda. Mike's rapping is more aggressive here, he plays guitar on a number of songs, and even sings on a few of them! Mr Hann was easily the standout of Hybrid Theory and Meteora and didn't disappoint here.
For the most part the songs are played well, but don't really bring anything extra to the table. Also, the electronica aspect of the LP sound doesn't translate too well live. While this is understandable and somewhat of a let-down, the songs do sound heavier which will appeal to a lot of fans. The crowd singing to Crawling is definitely a highlight of the concert and is true to LP's popularity--even Metallica fans can enjoy and sing along with Linkin Park. That was the most memorable performance of the disc for me.
While the overall performance wasn't spectacular, it wasn't bad and will certainly please Linkin Park fans who will have a fun time and will satisfy them for several repeat viewings. One Step Closer has to be the best I've heard it here. Chester's vocals are brilliant and the crowd are really getting into the track. And to surprise the crowd, the bridge from the Re-Animation is added. Which really spices up the song, and makes it an overall better listen than the one on Hybrid Theory.
All and all, LP fans will get a kick out of this concert, but it won't do much for the casual listener. But that's exactly the turn-out Linkin Park would have wanted, as they made this for their fans and if you're a fan of their old stuff, what are you waiting for? check this out now!
Track list: Don't Stay; Somewhere I Belong; Lying from You; Papercut; Points of Authority; Runaway; Faint; From the Inside; Figure.09; With You; By Myself; P5hing Me A*wy; Numb; Crawling; In the End; A Place for My Head; One Step Closer
Track Picks: P5ing Me A*wy; Crawling; One Step Closer
Avenged Sevenfold: Live in the L.B.C. & Diamonds in the Rough (2008)
The show A7X fans have been waiting for
Last year, Avenged Sevenfold released the documentary 'All Excess'. While it was a a great entry to any fans collection, most had been holding out for a full live concert. And now, a year later, it's finally hear, and boy was it worth the wait!
Live in the LBC captures the band in perfect form during the hometown show as headline act on the 2008 Taste of Chaos tour. Like their recent self titled album, it opens with the politically charged rocker Critical Acclaim. And like the rest of the concert, it is performed very well and even manages to surpass the album version.
The set-list is good and captures the highlights from their new album (Including an amazing performance of A Little Piece of Heaven), the singles from City of Evil, and a cover of Pantera's Walk sung by a fan from the crowd.
While this is kind of a greatest hits set-list, and mainly aimed at their newer fans, Avenged haven't forgotten the fans that have been their from the beginning. They prove this by playing two songs off their 2003 album, Waking the Fallen. These are brilliant performances of the single Unholy Confessions, and the fan favourite Second Heartbeat. To even further satisfy these fans, Shadows even brings back some screaming vocals.
I would recommend this DVD to all A7X fans. Weither you're a new fan, or a fan from the days before they were a household name. I would also recommend it to fans of rock/metal music, or are just looking for a kick ass show. Check this out, you won't be disappointed!
Track List: Critical Acclaim; Second Heartbeat; Afterlife; Beast and the Harlot; Scream; Seize the Day; Walk; Bat Country; Almost Easy; Gunslinger; Unholy Confessions; A Little Piece of Heaven
Track Picks: Second Heartbeat; Bat Country; Unholy Confessions; A Little Piece of Heaven
NOTE: Also includes a CD of B-sides from Avenged Sevenfold, Covers, and remixes.
Torchwood (2006)
Better than Docter Who!
A spin-off of Docter Who? I would hardly call it that. Even though it has Captain Jack (who appeared in the later episodes of season 1 of DW) It is a very different show.
Docter Who is very family-friendly. No swearing, rarely does anyone die, no sexual content, etc. Torchwood is the opposite of that. It swears, people die, there is quite a bit of sexual content (I asked myself during early season 2 "Is everyone in this show Bi-sexual?").
I have seen up to episode 6 of Torchwood season 2, and haven't watched any of Docter Who season 4 (bar a bit of the 1st episode) and apart from the episode where Torchwood appears in Docter Who (which I am aware of but have not seen)'The Docter' is only mentioned a few times (like when Jack says that he's looking for "the right kind of 'Docter' ") you hear the TARDIS at the end of season 1. Ofcouse it has Captain Jack, but apart from that, you wouldn't even notice that it's a Docter Who spin-off. Which I think is a good thing, it has kinda became it's own show.
Sure, not everyone will like it better than Docter Who. But if you want a more 'grown up' show, Torchwood is the way to go.
My Super Sweet 16 (2005)
Possibly the trashiest show MTV has ever made... and thats saying something
I've seen some bad shows in my time, but this... this show takes the cake. It is possibly the trashiest shows I've ever had the misfortune of viewing. I don't give out 1 stars often, in fact, this is the fist 1 star I've ever given. Personally, I think the only people who could possibly like this show are rich, stuck-up, snobby, shallow brats, just like the stars of this show. While watching 'My Super Sweet 16', one starts to wonder what the creators were smoking when they thought of this show, and why anyone would put them self through the pain of watching this poor excuse for television is beyond me. Now, to my main problem with this show, how could this possibly count as 'music television'? does anyone remember when MTV wasn't full of shows that couldn't be any less about music if they tried? The worse part of the show are the birthday girls, if the slight possibility of the party being too expensive and it having to be made cheaper arises, even though it is still 10 times more than most people could afford, they cry a bloody river until they get their way. In conclusion this show is a MUST avoid, and if you're a tad curious, watch 5 minutes of this show, if you manage to last that long without wanting to gouge your own eyes out that is...