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24-08-03 by Adam
Ignition …NEWS
MOVIE REVIEWS
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Hari Raya will never be the same again as Adam (Global Chaos) will be compiling songs from different bands for a special compilation CD. Certain percentage of the proceeds from the CD will be channeled to charity organizations. It will featured various bands from different genres: Global Chaos, Force Vomit, Malex, The Toyols among others. Set to a different beat & coming to you soon.Be afraid. Be very afraid..
ANOTHER GATHERING?
Not to be outdone, his partner Isa (ex-Birdbrains) is also setting up his own extreme compilation. Bands from around the world playing Metal, Grind, Rock, death will be participating in this prestigious event.
MIGRAINE IN THE MEMBRANE
Legendary local Grinders DEMISOR have decided to call it a day. A close source of the band revealed that Fahmy (vocals) suffered a severe throat problem and now forming a new band. This time he’s playing the guitar. More details soon.
ROCKER IN BLACK
The first original drummer of Rockers (one of the local pioneer heavy metal bands) Irwan has lent his strength and style to a much acclaimed Black Metal band – EIBON.
IJ METALFEST
Come this 20th September, Thomson C.C. will be burning with blistering bands like Demisor, Birdbrains, Rudra, Dethmute and Logam (M’sia Power Metal). Starts at 2 pm till 10 pm. Tickets at $10. Available at the studio & venue.
SPICY INDIAN FLAVOUR
Rudra finally unveiled their third album – Kurukshetra. Comprising of 10 tracks plus 1 short interlude, released by Trishul records & available at good record stores.
WICKED AURA
Wicked Aura is the one & only S’pore based bateria, and plays energetic
carnival style samba music mixing African, Asian and Latin-American rhythms.
The band plays festivals, parades and gigs around S’pore and is available
for bookings (Firman – 9645 5516, Budi –9145 0954, Isman – 9733 3262 or Adam
– 9839 2060) or e-mail wickedaurista@yahoo.com)
What is a Bateria?
Bateria - Samba Percussion
A Bateria is a group of percussionists playing Samba rhythms. The Bateria can vary in size from four or five players to hundreds of players where the instruments are in sections playing a variety of parts which fit together to make The Samba. The Bateria is usually led by the Mestre who conducts the assemblage and gives the Bateria cues for changes in the rhythmical patterns and Dynamics. The Mestre will usually play a whistle to communicate signals to the rest of the group while playing the Samba.
Samba is the national music of Brazil but it has a rich variety of forms and individual rhythms. Some of these are typical of specific geographical areas but they can cross over quite a bit. Some of the Rhythms - Batucada - Samba Reggae and Baion - Maracatu.
The special thing about this group is, it’s made up of artistes consisting of members of local bands –Budi Cracked Healer, Adi- Dekoded, Adam- Global Chaos and Syed Ahmad -Stoned Revival. It is also joined by fire twirlers and fire eaters. We have recently played at this year ZOUKOUT and currently busks around Orchard on the weekends.
Interested in getting to know this art form, Do drop them a line. AXE!
I AM A VIKING
COMIC BOOK FANS-A new mini-series for The Mighty Thor has arrived. Vikings
is a MAX title so chopped heads and blood spurts will be allowed. It is a
story of zombie Vikings invading New York, the current home of the thunder
god. Story and art by Garth Ennis and Glenn Fabry. Anything from Ennis tends
to be nasty. Dr Strange guests.
SEPULTURA COVER U2
Brazilian metallers Sepultura have included a U2 cover, Bullet the Blue Sky, on their new album, Roorback, due Aug 26. Two versions of the album will be released. The first will include an audio and video version of "Bullet," while a second, two-disc version will add the previously unreleased "Revolusongs" EP. That disc will boast covers of songs by Jane's Addiction ("Mountain Song"), Public Enemy ("Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos"), Massive Attack ("Angel"), Devo ("Mongoloid"), Exodus ("Piranha") and Hellhammer ("Messiah"). Get the two-disc version.
Jon Schaffer (Iced Earth):
On another bit of news my historical collectibles shop is now open. We are open Friday & Saturday 10:00am to 8:00pm and Sunday 10:00am to 6:00pm. It is truly one of the most unique places in the country. If you love history, art, miniatures, models, battlefield relics, etc.. you've got to come and see Spirit of '76 Collectibles. The website is in the works and you can get a good look at the shop and a sample of our products at http://www.spirit-of-76.com The site is being handled by Todd Brown and he's working on it pretty steadily so try to check back often.
The following was posted
by Jon Schaffer to the IceadEarth.com band board on Tuesday, August 19, 2003
at 11:43PM:
"Greetings!
Well everyone, it is official. Tim Owens(Ex-Judas Priest) is the new
frontman and lead vocalist of Iced Earth and I couldn't be happier!
There is no doubt that fate has played a big part in our lives in these last
few months and I truly beleive that this is the way it was meant to be.
Everything happens for a reason!!
Tim did an outstanding job on this record. In 5 very relaxed days he nailed
the parts, and I mean NAILED them, and I don't think I've ever laughed as
much and had as much fun in the studio before. He is definitely bringing new
life into the band and the future looks very bright for us as a team. Tim
knows who he is, what he stands for and is very dedicated; and he's funny as
hell, all very important traits!
CD REVIEWS
Rudra – Kurukshetra
Trishul Records
A third offering from one of Singapore’s hardworking metal bands. The cover depicts a fierce battlefield. Good & evil facing each other in a climatic battle. Mmm! Prepare for War!!! Delicious spicy Metal riffs served for me to savour? Ahh yes.. The pentatonic scales, the excellent lyrics that weave around the brutal yet organized structured music. Tracks such as Justified Aggression, Apostasy and God Of Delusion left me dumbfounded in the Sungei Road canal. Alas, it was during the middle of Temple of Nothingness, I felt that Kathir should at least try to experiment his vocal delivery, as it was beginning to be rather mono. But track nine-Highlands of Tranquility made me do the dance of joy with my bandmates. Fly Fly Saffron Fly Fly Saffron Higher and higher. Yeah! I sure dig this. Initially, I have mixed feelings about this one. I felt, I was missing something, with regards with their 2nd album. It’s a good album but it’s just them going through the motions. Their third fully redeem itself in my eyes. Eh! Wait a minute…Why few guitar solos? Or is it just passing noodlings. I heard a shimmering of forgotten leads on the last track – Asura Mardhini, first track, Justified Aggression and Apostasy. It would be awesome if the guitar leads could further compliment and enhance the track. For example the last guitar riff of God Of Delusion is truly a jigsaw piece in mind-bending ideas. I admired their effort. Not many bands have three major releases under their belt and developed a (lyrical sense) style of their own, toured India – Rock For Peace. In my eyes they have established their mark in Singapura Metaldom.
Fonzie "Built To Rock"
(Jump Start Records)
Punk rock from
Portugal?
Their songs are poppy and catchy, which brings to mind Blink 182. I don't
know if they are trying to go for that sound. That could be a good or bad
thing, depending on what type of punk you like. The band sounds great but
again, It's not the type of "punk" I'm into.
Infectious melodic punk
in the same vein as Millencolin and Midtown Harmony, melody, driving
guitars, and a rock 'n roll attitude that are sure to make Fonzie your new
favorite band. CD includes an interactive multimedia piece which contains
live footage, home videos, and a video for the song "Rock My Heart." They
came down here recently and played at the baybeats-Esplanade, theatres on
the bay.
Worth Buying? I
think so, sure why not. It’s the kind of wake up music for those who are
about to go for work. Some cool tracks: "Drive My Vespa To the Movies" "Fresa"
distributed here through Wakemeup Music.
Electric Six -FIRE
XL Recordings
It’s pure mayhem! Disco meets KISS. And it's actually funny, in a Men Without Hats sort of a way ("Radio message from HQ/ Dance commander, we love you"), but let's be frank: these guys mention "fire" in nearly every song A RIOT!!!! This album hits like the Bee Gees playing Rock. Fun, Loud, and Meaningless - this album will keep your system booming while you try to explain to your friends that your love for the single "Gay Bar" does not mean that you are in the closet. The singer really knocked me over. Cool clunky power-chord progressions, tinny percussion, and distant synths complete the gruesome aura of kitsch surrounding Fire-- and that wouldn't be so bad if we could at least see it as sheer novelty. Electric Six, it's really all fun and games, as the staggeringly insipid Detroit six-piece might lead you to believe, the music doesn't give it away. 80s rock clichés abound-- but just subtly enough to imply that the band was either too musically incompetent to follow through to the point of parody, or just didn't give a shit that they are, in essence, a very sincere hair-rock band. Even the ballad (should I dare called it a ballad?) here-- a love song to a synthesizer-- is drenched in beamingly heartfelt bleach-blond solos and soaring, Winger-esque keyboards. It’s bouncy, disposable pop and just enough real meaning, or sentiment, to sustain interest. This is better than some boy band passing off as a Pop-Punk outfit!!! Trust me.
Anthrax – The best of
UNIVERSAL
Mention Metallica and Megadeth in one breath, you’ll tend to include these guys too. One of the pioneers of Speed Thrash Metal movement, they successfully combines savage and fast riffs with thought provoking lyrics that tackled racism and other social issues all with a dash of humour. I must admit that this release do no justice to current singer, John Bush (no relation to the other Bush) as 90 percent of the songs were from the previous singer, the ever charismatic one, Joey Belladonna. Here you’ll get classics like the remake of Public Enemy’s Bring The Noize, spearheading the Rock/Rap movement. The second band to include hard & heavy riffs with Rap, the first being Run DMC and Aerosmith. Joe Jackson’s Got The Time was also given the Anthrax treatment, making it such a memorable quick, vicious but fun ditty. I Am The Law, the one of their ever homage to Pop Culture ( they’re TV & movie buffs as well), Judge Dredd. is one metal meltdown that combines high pitched vocals with staccato HC and Metal riffs. They have re-written Metal by playing by their own rules, from a simply straight denim long haired band image, they have adopted the skateboard/shorts culture and now the wiseguys look. They’ve evolved both musically and as a band in general. Great songs apart, there are no liner notes from the band, making this compilation such a cold one (READ : Former Record company’s way of milking it from the fans) Do check out their now out of print Attack Of The Killer B’s and excellent Return Of The Killer A’s (which included a cover of The Temptation’s Ball Of Confusion sung by Joey Belladonna and John Bush, the former and his successor ), both greatest hits compilations are essential as the band gets involved in the designing of the product and Scott Ian, the guitarist shares his thoughts track by track and a big picture of all its tour paraphernalia, unless you’re a fan and already have owned their releases. A damn great heavy band who do not take themselves seriously without missing a beat!
THIS IS THE BEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2001!!!!
Fantomas – The Director’s Cut
Fucking brilliant!! The new release from the man that once helmed the music world to its knees, Mike Patton (ex- Faith No More) continue to bludgeon the senses with a very sinister take on music from the movies. This release takes a different approach in re-writing that cover song, by making the theme music gelled or mutate works by the likes of Angelo Baladamenti and Henry Mancini (call it whatever you wish I still think this is brilliant!) into their very own wicked mutation. The texture that they’ve layered onto the sound makes sense and it is interesting to explore the whole disc. There are elements of Black Metal, Jazz with lesser words being sung but more expressive verbal noises made the sonic impact more colourfully flavourable. The guilty parties are Dave Lombardo, ex-drummer of Slayer, Trey Dunn, bassist of Mr. Bungle fame and the ogre himself Buzz Osborne, guitarist from The Melvins. Themes from Cape Fear, The Godfather, Spider Baby, The Omen and 50’s movie Der Golem have been transformed into every metal/extreme music fan’s delight. I simply drool at their take of Rosemary Baby, it begins with a cute little ditty later enveloped with melancholic dirges that leave with stupified, and wanting more. Fans of the versatile Mike Patton and his other Pre & Post Faith No More incarnations will definitely dig this. The way they engineered the drums are wonderful (It’s like Slayer’s Reign In Blood), it made the songs sound like Slayer jamming with the mighty Mel Blanc ( the voice of many Warner Bros cartoons).
MOVIE REVIEWS
DECLINE OF THE WESTERN
CIVILIZATION PART II -
December 2001 | Released: 1988, Director : Penelope Spheeris
Before you say, “Damn! A 13
year-old documentary about some poser glam bands?! Are you mad or just
insane?!
I believe that this is the first full true documentary about Heavy Metal
music. As we know now, the definition of “metal” has changed and evolved
over the years and many of the bands featured in this movie (like Faster
Pussycat, Poison and others) are not “metal” in the truest sense. However,
when the bulk of this was filmed in and around 1987 many of these bands were
“metal” in terms of being categorized in their place in pop culture. The
bands were too big to ignore and caught the attention of the mainstream
media and Penelope Spheeris (She later directed the cult Wayne’s World)
In reality there is no logical format to this movie…it just sort of starts
and ends. I’m not a film critic so stuff like continuity, camera angles and
all that doesn’t bother me. What we do have is a great set of interviews,
clips, jokes and live footage of the LA metal scene, from the biggest bands
at the time to interviews with young and ambitious up and comers. Penelope
doesn’t judge or editorialize through the course of her interviews but the
responses, actions and attitudes of the people being interviewed make it
easy for the viewer to draw his or her own conclusions. The interviews are
candid and uncensored despite it being difficult to get an intelligent
answer out of some of the bands.
It’s great stuff! Penelope came to Singapore and catch a glimpse of Myx
Metal Assault 2 at the Substation. I also enjoyed interviews with the bands
that almost made it but not quite, like London, Seduce and Odin each
long-time favorites of the LA scene. Watching Dave Mustaine of Megadeth talk
about the selling out and the nature of the music business are very
interesting in light of his recent public recantations about the selling out
and the nature of the music business!
The whole thing is big, bright, dumb and beautiful which is really in some
ways what the more commercial side of metal is all about. The soundtrack is
great. Hey, I can’t help it I grew up listening to this stuff. For older
fans it is neat to go back and see which bands made it and which ones didn’t
and have a trip down memory lane. There’s Rigor Mortis!!! For younger fans
who were not around the first commercial wave of metal, this is a neat movie
to see some of the roots of the scene. Clocking in at 90 minutes it is a
great film and I expect somebody somewhere is working on the DVD with bonus
stuff. At least I hope they are.
A TALE OF TWO SISTERS
Dir: Kim Jei-woon
Two teenaged girls managed to kick Keanu Reeves' ass in
Korea.
Psycho-chiller A Tale Of Two Sisters knocked The Matrix Reloaded off top
spot in the box office with its creepy mood and portrait of a family in
crisis.
Su-mi and Su-Yeon return to their family's beautiful wooden house in the
country. Their father is sad and detached, while their young stepmother,
Eun-ju, greets them with all the brittle warmth of an icicle. The girls seem
to have had treatment for an unspecified illness, and cling to each other
for emotional support. Older sister Su-mi is fiercely protective of Su-Yeon,
who is quiet and vulnerable. The first half of the film is a masterpiece of
atmosphere, and is reminiscent of, say, Jane Eyre trapped in a big, eerie
house with chintzy walls, where doors and floors creak deafeningly in the
night. But with Eun-ju like the first Mrs Rochester taking a prominent role
in making life miserable. And references to a past tragedy that split the
family are constantly dropped.
But director Kim Jei-woon spoils the deliciously evocative ambiance with
some heavy-handedness when he gives in to the temptation of showing spirits
walking around the house and terrorising the inhabitants. After a while,
these shock tactics weigh down the film, which works so well as a
psychological battle in a gothic setting.
All the oppressiveness in the family is conveyed in a brilliant scene of a
dinner party, when Eun-ju works herself to near hysteria over a funny
anecdote that no one shares. The stress of Eun-ju's feverish gaiety sends
her sister-in-law into an epileptic fit, which segues into a frightening
ghost sequence. Kim should have gone with more of the subtle twisting of the
psychological screws, given the fine performances by his cast. Kudos to Yeom
Jeong-ah as the highly-strung Eun-ju, who is engaged in a war of attrition
with the two sisters. Im Su-jeong as Su-mi holds her own against the stepmom,
and Mun Geun-yeong and Kim Gab-su lend good support in their low-key roles
as Su-yeon and the glum father.
As it stands, however, A Tale Of Two Sisters has a good twist or two to liven things up, even if they confuse things a bit. And it does deliver the goods as the latest in the Asian horror revival that started with The Ring. - Susan Tsang
Shogun Assassin (1980)
-
This film might
be one of the goriest non-horror films ever. Needless to say, it’s a classic
must-see for everyone. Shogun is actually the 1st two films in the Japanese
samurai classic Lone Wolf and Cub series edited together to make one awesome
film. The soundtrack was changed and with a little dubbing we get instant
bloodshed cult phenomenon. If you have any interest at all in samurai films,
ninjas, feudal Japan, blood, or swordplay, then this is simply a must own
movie. You see it seems our Lone Wolf was once the Shogun’s decapitator
until the ruler went a bit crazy and fucked our friend over, killing his
wife in the process. Now Lone Wolf rooms the land fighting off ninjas, more
ninjas, and in this film the 3 evil Masters of Death. He travels with his
young son he pushes around in a wooden baby cart (the other nickname for the
series) that also acts as an armory. Just check out the scene with the cart
whirling through a group of baddies with it’s blades extending from the
wheels cutting off everyone at the ankle; I mean the narration, which is
done from the kid’s perspective, is cool as is the storyline in general.
People don’t just die in Assassin, after getting the fatal cut; they spray
for glorious seconds. The father and son thing makes for a unique duo when
it comes to killing. The little kid proves helpful in more than one
instance. The kid was lucky to be alive anyway after his father gave him a
choice of life or death based on whether the child crawled over to a ball or
a sword place in front of him. He knew the future would be tough and filled
with danger, especially so with a child, so the child was given the chance
to choose his own destiny. Smart choice kid, smart choice. This movie might
be the most widely known samurai (chambara) film of all time and once you
see it you will wanna see the rest of the series that this came from. The
fight scenes are simply a joy to watch, making Shogun Assassin many cuts
above most Japanese films.
Omen,The (1976)
The 70’s were definitely the decade of the devil. The Omen came out a few
years after The Exorcist and proved to be nearly as scary and evil. These
two films solidify the decades position as “most evil”, right? The Omen was
the 1st film in a trilogy and ended up being by far the best. Luckily for
us, the antichrist is born to walk to earth and rise to power. Poor old step
dad is given the task of 1st believing this shit and second trying to stop
it. It takes some convincing and a few horrible deaths, but by and by, he
realizes his son Damien is here to bring hell on earth. Great acting
highlights this film. Some very harsh deaths also highlight this film and
some tend to take a few moments to unfold, giving you plenty of time to sit
and dread what’s coming. Damien really is a devilish looking lil brat and
the casting here was perfect. The best part of this movie for me is the
story and how it unfolds. It was really interesting to see a man wrestle
with his beliefs and be slapped in the face by reality. How he deals with
the truth about his son and the hard choices he must make are what make The
Omen work. Of course, hell hounds, decapitations by glass, a killer box car,
and a brutal hanging work well to make this film a classic also. I think
that The Exorcist kinda overshadowed this film somewhat for a lot of people,
but it really is very good and works on a somewhat different level. The Omen
has a lot more action and a lot more death. The Omen had two much better
sequels than The Exorcist did also. Still, both are great films and it’s
hard for me too choose between them, though I feel like The Exorcist was a
bit scarier (just a tad). You gotta love these devil flicks and The Omen is
one of the best.