A crane could never runaway, it’ll always be in the sky.
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| — | Simonster (via inthedolphintank) |
Album Review: Sarah Jezebel Deva - The Corruption Of Mercy
It’s interesting to look back at Sarah Jezebel Deva’s back catalogue and realise that, prior to the release of Angtoria’s album, she had never been a front woman. The name rings quite a few bells, particularly on the UK metal scene as she stands as one of the most notable female vocalists, so it was about time she stepped from the shadows of the backing microphone and took center stage. A minor blip occurred as the debut album from her solo project, ‘A Sign of Sublime’ fell victim to almost every case of misfortune, but instead of falling to defeat, the sophomore album ‘The Corruption Of Mercy’ rose in a phoenix-like ascent to prove the talent and skill that the front woman and her band possess. Described by the record label as ‘symphonic’ and ‘dark’, it’s impossible to find two words that sum up the album any better. The bombastic compositions are teamed with intense blast beats that ensure the metal aspects are not overlooked - exemplified perfectly in the opening track ‘No Paragon Of Virtue’ and the lead single ‘The World Won’t Hold Your Hand’. The latter stands out as a highlight from the album - a strong chorus and one of the most instant tracks that does not compromise it’s heaviness. It is, along with ‘Pretty With Effects’, ‘The Corruption of Mercy’ and ‘A Matter of Convenience’, a prime example of the songwriting skills that Deva possesses, particularly within her lyrics. Through both metaphorical and literal accounts, she manages to convey relatable issues and, particularly on ‘A Matter Of Convenience’, refuses to mince her words as she states that she ‘needs more whiskey’ to get her through an intimate encounter. Some of the most intense performances on the album don’t come from the all-guns-blazing approach, but from the stripped down track ‘Pretty With Effects’ when Sarah’s emotion and conviction carries the song onto a new level and similiarly, in the title track, the vocal performance elevates it and evolves it into something special. Sarah also seems to have carved a niche for herself in the business of covering classic songs and giving them a metal makeover. This is continued on the album as she turns her attention to The Cranberries’ classic ‘Zombie’ and the result is magnificent. A little heavier, it suits her voice to perfection and fits among the rest of the tracks nicely, musically sounding slightly reminiscent of Katatonia and Madder Mortem with it’s distorted chugging and hints of doom metal.
There is no lack of passion in any of the songs on offer and that in itself is commendable, but the greatest thing about ‘The Corruption of Mercy’ is the complexity of the sonic arrangements. It isn’t something that can be absorbed entirely in one listen and the sign of a great album is surely one that draws you back and appeals in different ways with repeated listens.
Born This Way (Album Review)
There are a few reasons that ‘Born This Way’ by Lady GaGa has become one of the most anticipated album releases in the last few decades. Her current place at the top of the pop pile being a main cause of interest, but looking a little deeper we can see GaGa constantly dropping hints and making reference to the album being the album of the decade. Finally, it’s release was marked for Monday 23rd May and as the date has passed, it’s Lady GaGa herself that has to wait with baited breath to see how her work has been received.
SuckerPunch
I first saw the trailer for Suckerpunch whilst i went to see Battle: Los Angeles and it looked okay. I didn’t really want to see it but James seemed quite interested and he said we should go and see it in easter so i said we could.
We all went on wednesday and it turned out to be quite good. There should probably be an asterik there, leading me to add that ‘quite good’ actually means ‘one of the best films i’ve ever seen’ and i never write blogs about films (time restraints have even stopped me writing blogs about gigs) but this was literally mindblowing. I want the DVD now…i feel like a twihard after seeing Twilight for the first time. I am literally a suck hard. Oh yes.
Firstly, the music was incredible. Skunk Anansie and Bjork….oh, might i add, ON THE SAME SONG. Incredible. Every song was so dark and broody and also amazing and catchy and i need too get the soundtrack asap!
The plot itself wasn’t anything like i’d expected (or like the first ten minutes suggests either), it’s quite a confusing film but in an interesting way not in an alienating way. I like that i’ve seen it once and enjoyed it more than i can imagine…but also that i want to go and watch it again and notice the small details and understand the twists even better. The fact that you might not grasp everything right away isn’t a bad point, it’s definitley a bonus. I love the unpredictableness about it all too.
The fact that all of the protagonists are absolute babes isn’t a bad thing either. Even the weird perverted villain isn’t what i’d call ugly. But seriously, the girls in this film are stunning. Vanessa Hudgens should pull off the promiscuous dancer look more often. I’d appreciate that, at least.
The evil characters are also weird and wonderful, not ridiculously nightmare scary but not people/things you’d want to encounter in a dark alley, or a light alley, or anywhere, really.
Amber - she was my favourite, i think. Although i loved all of the girls, i liked Amber because she was cool and she had a sweet disposition (TT reference, there). I liked that she was still a part of the team even though she was always seperate from the others and had the most fabulously gay ways of getting around.
Babydoll - I loved Babydoll and that you followed her story, although it was quite obvious from the trailer that this would be the case. Also understandable that you know most about her but it doesn’t retract from her mystery, she still ends up being a pretty psychotic character and is another of my favourites. She also had the most amazing shoes. Her solo fight scene was one of my favourite parts of the whole film, it was so incredible and set in the snow. This picture is taken from that scene, those monsters were properly weird.
Blondie - in one of the storylines (there are a few paralell ‘worlds’, i guess, it’s hard to explain) i like that she comes across as the most vulnerable. She is really sweet and i like the turn around she makes in regard to Babydoll. Not my favourite of the characters but she is cool. The only bad thing i can say is that i didn’t even notice when she wasn’t part of one of the scenes and that maybe means she wasn’t as strong as the other characters but that works well within the plot, as people who’ve seen the film knows - it’s best not to get too attatched too her.
Rocket - definitley had one of the saddest storylines but it was really one of the most beautiful and it made me feel very sad. Rocket is an incredible character and she comes across really well throughout the whole film - although she’s cool and rebellious, they present her really nicely so you feel for her although she is a strong, powerful character.
Sweet Pea - with the worst names come the best characters, it seems. Sweet Pea is one of the reasons i love this film so much. Her turnaround, her stubbornness and her power don’t make her annoying, somehow the creators have made her mysterious, alluring and she turns out to be one of the most heroic and brave girls. She is also beautiful and her involvment in the ending gave me butterflies, it was really beautiful.
The fact that there isn’t just one story, but a series of metaphoric stories within it give it such depth. Some might find it annoying to switch from one plot to the next, one world to another, but i really enjoyed it!
As i mentioned, the ending is wonderful and really brings a whole new light to the film. I didn’t really know what to expect from the ending but it certainly had nothing to do with what actually happened - they brought a new twist right at the end that made the film what it is.
The whole message from the film, of self-empowerment and the refusal to give in is beautiful and i absolutely loved this film so much! The way it was filmed, the atmosphere it creates and the sense that it is something original and fresh made this film one of my favourites, i really can’t wait to see it again!
