Synthetica | Metric

Metric's new album, Synthetica, was released June 12th of this year! Having enjoyed their previous album, Fantasies, I was definitely interested in hearing what else this band had in store.

The opening track is called "Artificial Nocturne," which begins with synths and Emily Haines' ever-soothing vocals. As the song slowly builds, it just gets more and more intriguing. After the synth-intro is over with, guitars pop in, bringing a new feel to the track. The repetative melodies are almost hypnotic throughout the crescendos and decrescendos of the song, making me feel positive about the album already.

"Youth Without Youth" follows, and it is the first single from Synthetica. The synths from the previous song lead into this track for a moment, but the electric guitars quickly break through this leftover sound. Metric may be indie/alternative/new wave, but they sure sound like rock stars in this song. "Youth Without Youth" is the perfect chilled-out summer song, but that is not to say that it isn't upbeat. I just feel so cool when I listen to it!

What was an immediate favorite song of mine from the album comes next, and it's called "Speed the Collapse." Again, the previous song sort of leads into this one, and the tone seems completely changed. Lyrically, this song is a bit strange and clever. Of course, I love this element, almost as much as I love Emily's vocalizing at the end of the chorus, which are bound to stay in the listener's head long after the first listen. It's not a slow song, but it's so relaxing... But then again, isn't that a good definition for all of Metric's music?

Next comes "Breathing Underwater," where Emily's vocals seem to be a bit more calming than usual, even in the heavier-than-typical chorus. Again, "Breathing Underwater" seems to be a song so perfect for summer, one that I'll surely be listening to frequently.

"Dreams so Real" is highly powered by the electronic elements of Metric, and even Emily's voice is a bit auto-tuned. I can already tell that I don't want this song in my head at three o'clock in the morning when I'm trying to sleep, for it's almost too repetative and catchy! However, I won't deny that it's a good song. Rather short, but still good.

The sixth song of Synthetica, "Lost Kitten," is probably my least favorite despite it's rather... cute sounding. For whatever reason, it seems to be a bit bland for my taste. But right when "The Void" begins, I feel assured that I won't experience any particularly dull moments on this record... and I'm wrong. "The Void" gave me that bland taste again. Though neither of them are bad songs or lack quality, there's nothing in the music that really catches me like the other songs. However, I feel like these two tracks would be nice to listen to when I'm doing something that requires work and need some good background music.

This phase of the album officially ends with the title track. "Synthetica" gets me grooving again with its awesome instrumentation and a chorus that I want to sing along with right away. Like "Youth Without Youth," this song has more potent guitars than some of the other tracks, but it still keeps that signature dreamy Metric feel to it.

"Clone" follows, a more mellow and electronic side of Synthetica. The guitars in the chorus and the bridge ignite something nostalgic in me, and the lyrics seem to speak to me in some way, especially these: "Can you clone me? I look like everyone you know now." I really enjoyed this change of pace; I really enjoyed the song. "Clone" has a unique beauty to it.

"The Wanderlust" is a bit different as it includes male vocals in the chorus. It's not the most memorable song on the album, but it ends abruptly, leaving me with the last song: "Nothing But Time." Unlike the other songs (excpet for the first one), "Nothing But Time" includes a soothing, catchy piano bit. Emily's vocals blend into the sound quite well, almost too well, as this atmospheric track builds, gaining more and more audible effects. I'm quite sure this is the most atmospheric song of Synthetica, and some of this maintains its place in the song in the chorus, when the guitars and drums come in. Instantly, this track is one of my favorites. The song ends on a very positive note lyrically, as well as a great end musically, for the sound draws itself out a bit before its final cut-off.

Synthetica is a wonderful album! Metric should be proud of this unique piece of work, for just about every song seemed to sit more than well with me. Not only did it sound great, but it drew some emotion from me. I found myself smiling a lot when listening to this album; Metric's sound always makes me happy.

Place Metric's Synthetica to the top of your list of CDs to buy, for it's perfect, relaxing summer music.

4.5/5 Stars

Snow White and the Huntsman | Directed by Rupert Sanders | Written by Evan Daugherty, John Lee Hancock, Hossein Amini

Snow White and the Huntsman, an anticipated rendition of the fairytale we all know and love, finally came to theatres June 1st! Like many others, I was immediately drawn to this seemingly dark version of the beloved tale as well as the wonderful cast, but I was also looking forward to the cinematography and film score. So, my expectations were high. And I must say, I wasn't let down.

Of course, this story follows the struggles of the princess Snow White (Kristen Stewart) as Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) desires to kill her. Queen Ravenna is very obsessed with beauty and power and wants as much of it as she can possibly have. However, Snow White is the only one fairer than her, the only one that can give her immortal beauty if killed. To take care of this problem, Queen Ravenna sends a Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) to pursue Snow White. But, perhaps Queen Ravenna should not have put so much trust in this Huntsman, for he will take Snow White's side as battle lines become clear as day...

Oh, I do love a good revolution!

This rendition of Snow White is dark, but it still keeps a fairytale vibe. There's still magic, both good and evil, and the difference between the two leaves a beautiful and distinct contrast. Most of this has to do with this film's cinematography. As I previously mentioned, this was an element I was really looking forward to. Right off the bat, my expectations were met. Even the battle scenes contained beauty with the way the effects were brought about, which is a bit unusual. Above all, the most potent way the cinematography is displayed is in the general setting. Nature is taken to a new level of fantasy in this film, and depending on when it is used (as much of the film takes place outdoors), it can be the darkest or the most innocent form of creativity. This contrast is most evident when comparing the Dark Forest (which is so much scarier in this film) to calm and bright Sanctuary.

As far as my other pre-viewing expectations, I expected a great score. James Newton Howard did the film score, which immediately made me excited since I enjoyed a lot of his previous work for films. In Snow White and the Huntsman, the score was consistently effective and epic. I'm pretty sure I had that figured out within the first minute.

The film in general started out semi-corny, but not quite. It was getting close, but once things really started to take off, it was a far cry from even semi-corny. Snow White and the Huntsman was not a boring film; I was engaged throughout. Charlize made a frightening evil queen, and the queen's brother kind of freaked me out. Well, I guess his character in general didn't effect me much. It was their relationship. It confused me... It seemed they were a little bit closer than that, but there wasn't anything too obvious for me to think that. Just bits and pieces. I guess I was almost waiting for a backstory that concerned both of them.

Kristen Stewart did a good job with her role, if I may say so myself. Stewart seems to get a lot of harsh criticism, and part of the reason is because of her performances in the Twilight films. (Personally, I don't understand how anyone could stop ranting about the scripts of those films to even begin talking about the actors...) Honestly, I like Kristen. Twilight's the worst she's ever done (and I don't give her all of the blame for that anyway) but other than that, I have no problems with her. The role of Snow White was a really unique one for her and I think she did it right. Until this film, I've never seen her portraying a character so innocent and in-touch with nature... Nor have I ever seen her as a battling badass. It was all quite interesting to watch!

Still, I must say that Chris Hemsworth took up a lot of spotlight in this movie. Let's face it, he's fun to look at. But that's not to say that he's not a good actor, because he really is. I really felt for the Huntsman and loved to see his character grow. In fact, the Huntsman is easily my favorite character.

One thing about this new take on Snow White that left a positive mark on me is how Snow White is much more femminist. Obviously, she can't do everything by herself, but she does fight. She doesn't just sit around waiting, she encourages an army to fight with her in her quest to overthrow the queen. Of course, this made for an awesome final battle.

Throughout the film, Snow White has two possible love interests. (This part of the plot isn't examined thoroughly, so don't confuse this for some romance flick.) I could see this going either way, and it even got to the point where I was expecting one of them to die so she'd hurry up and make an obvious choice. Which brings me to the ending: I love how she made her choice in a clear way without saying a word. She barely even moved. It was an August Rush sort of ending - we knew how that part of the story would play out, the writers knew we knew that, so they didn't show us a corny scene that wraps up the all-too-careful happily ever after. This made me so happy, and I became even more delighted when I saw the epic credits... Am I the only one who really loves to see effects in the credits? Anyway, the ending was perfect.

Overall, Snow White and the Huntsman was a fun yet dark film. I enjoyed it vastly and believe that many others will as well, with its light moments with the dwarves, moving moments with Chris Hemsworth, and its epic battles that are bound to just about every character.

4.5/5 Stars

Introducing: Summer Playlist

I love a lot of different music and I'm almost always listening to it. Like other music fanatics, I seem to crave certain music during each season, and summer is typically the most obvious. Sometimes in autumn, winter, or fall, I'll hear a song and think something along the lines of this: "I love this song! I remember listening to it nonstop last summer!" Then, that'll lead me to think of other things I did during that specific summer. But, if I hear such song in the middle of winter, I'm not really happy to hear it. I love all seasons, and I don't really care about summer in the middle of winter; I care about Trans-Siberian Orchestra, snow, and Christmas during that time. I love every season.

So, long story made short, I decided I'd share my list of these songs which I correlate to summer, which you can find right here.

I know I made note of this on the playlist itself, but I really want to stress this: I'm aware that a lot of these songs don't have an obvious correlation to summer, which would make more sense. (Of course, I have to be complicated!) These songs usually remind me of summer because I discovered them in the summer, and that brings more memories of that time.

Nonetheless, I hope you all enjoy the list of songs I've presented this summer. I know I'm excited for more musical discoveries and the general fun that summer brings!

...Plus, I'm hoping that reviews will come more frequently this summer.

Prophecy of the Sisters | by: Michelle Zink

After a tragedy strikes the family, Lia Milthorpe discovers a peculiar mark on her wrist. Even so, that is not the only strange thing happening within her wealthy home. Her twin sister, Alice, has already grown distant, but the discovery of a mysterious book may explain it all as well as raise more questions.

Odd as it seems, she and her sister are part of an ancient prophecy. Though the parts they are to play within it are quite potent, it seems that their sisterhood will be torn apart as their individual free will turns them against another. Their opposing desires will have them working in opposition of the other as Lia begins to find allies she can trust in this unique and eerie Victorian-based story.

Though this is the second time I've read Prophecy of the Sisters, I may have actually enjoyed it more than the first, which is quite a compliment since I already really loved it.

One of the first things that caught my attention while reading this book was Michelle Zink's writing. It's fantastic! And the characters she created were so natural. Oftentimes, different characters of a novel tend to have rather extreme characteristics that make them stick out in a more forced way, but Michelle Zink is better than this. Prophecy of the Sisters had characters that were well-defined without extreme qualities. Because of this, I loved reading about these characters - even Alice, who creeped me out at times.

Since this is a Victorian novel, I would have expected it to fall under a certain mental catagory I have made when reading books that take place in older periods of history. It's not that I have anything against books that take place further back in time, because I actually love that - especiallly the Victorian era in which Prophecy of the Sisters was written for. My problem is the way that some authors handle it. They really want to make sure that the reader gets the correct feel of the time period by babbling nonstop about the time period. It comes to a certain point where I don't want to read about wagons anymore; I want plot. Michelle Zink did not do this. The 1800's felt so natural in this book, and I praise Michelle Zink for this in addition to her other great writing skills.

Prophecy of the Sisters has a generally creepy/mysterious vibe to it, but it isn't generally gloomy either. It's actually quite adventurous and fun as it is evenly paced. That's not to say that there are no dark matters in this book, because their are plenty. The paranormal elements are hair-rising and the times of tragedy are filled with sorrow. Throughout the entire reading experience, something is always happening as Lia tries to solve the mysteries of the prophecy. But, the climax is still ever-present despite the consistent pace.

I was really intrigued by the general concept of this book, with twin sisters battling against the other as well as the prophecy being a mythological version of the Bible's apocalypse. The times of darkness readers will encounter within the plot is kind of scary, and I liked that. Besides, the bits of magic, like all magic, made me happy. But more than anything, I loved the eerie elements, especially the freaky medallion. I can't say much about this without spoiling anything; I'll just tell you it's cool.

Really... there's not much left to say. No complaints whatsoever. Prophecy of the Sisters is an impeccable novel and I will definitely read the next two books in this trilogy, as this first novel has proved to be greatly written and one-of-a-kind.

4.5/5 Stars


Zink, Michelle. Prophecy of the Sisters
New York: Little, Brown and Company
2009

Dark Adrenaline | Lacuna Coil

Last January, Lacuna Coil released their sixth studio album, Dark Adrenaline. Though I adore many bands associated with this band, Lacuna Coil's work has been a bit hit-and-miss for me, but I was still curious to see what they had in store (especially considering how cool the album's title sounds).

"Trip the Darkness" is the first track as well as the first single, and I loved it. Though it starts out almost electronically, the sound doesn't take long to explode into your ears. Both of their singers take important parts within the song. In this track, Andrea takes the verses but Cristina takes the chorus, nearly chanting, "Follow me, follow me..." At this point, I like the direction the band has taken.

The second song is called "Against Me," and the eerie intro leads into heavy guitar riffs. Cristina's voice is colder in the verses, reminding me a bit of Aya from the band Unsun. Unlike the last track, Andrea sings the chorus, and he's at his best. Though the verses are dark, the chorus feels lighter, like rocking out in the summer. For this reason, this part of the song feels nostalgic to me. But, it's followed by an epic bridge that features a cool guitar solo; completely fresh to my ears. Despite the guitars start to lead the song to a strong end, the song includes a string part in its last seconds. A very worthy listen.

Next comes "Kill the Light," a song that's sure to get a live crowd jumping as it is both relatively catchy and heavy. It's not what I would consider a masterpiece or anything, but it's not bad. "Give Me Something More" follows, and it's much more mellow than the rest of the album at first, but the guitars and memorable drums kick in once the chorus comes and don't go away. Cristina's vowels are a bit wide in the bridge, but, it still isn't a bad song since that's my only complaint.

"Upsidedown" begins with guitar bits that will shuffle from one speaker to the other - an effect I've always loved. Andrea's vocals in the verses aren't the best sounding since they're completely frantic, and they're blown away by Cristina's amazing chorus. The bridge has a guitar solo before it leads into the final section, where Andrea and Cristina seem to unite. I liked this one much more than the previous two.

Just when you think the tempo slows down in "End of Time," guitars come pounding shortly before Cristina's first verse. Still, it's practically a ballad in comparison to the other songs, with sweeter melodies and lyrics that are most raw. This being said, it's probably the most powerful of the album, even as the strings fade at the very end. The seventh track is "I Don't Believe in Tomorrow," and once again the guitars shuffle in and out of each speaker, making my ears more than happy. Though the verses are catchy, the chorus doens't do the most for me. The best part of the song is the bridge, where the guitar riffs explode into something unexpectedly heavier for this song. Again, this song isn't bad, but it's not a masterpiece.

"Intoxicated," on the other hand, is one of the few songs on this album that is an immediate standout, primarily because of Cristina's vocals (especially in the chorus as it overlays the guitars yet blends all the same). However, I must mention that Andrea did his part very well, too, and together they made for a very awesome and memorable track. It isn't as jumpy as a lot of the other songs on this album, but it's still something you can bob your head to since it's a far cry from a slow song. But, the next track, entitled "The Army Inside" brings the return of the norm for this album. It's more upbeat but still meaningful, yet not a standout track.

Like many, I discovered Lacuna Coil from their cover of Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence" on their 2006 album, Karmacode. Though Lacuna Coil's original songs are hit-and-miss for me and tend to blurr together, their covers are exactly the opposite. The tenth song on Dark Adrenaline is "Losing My Religion," originally by REM. I loved REM's original of this fantastic love song, but I may actually like Lacuna Coil's version better. Both Andrea and Cristina convey each lyric so well, but Cristina really sounds like she's believing what she's singing as I hear the emotion in her voice. Plus, I love the instrumentation of this revamped classic. Honestly, I think this is my favorite from the album.

"Fire" comes next, and the guitar riffs remind me a lot of "I Won't Tell You," a song from their previous album, Shallow Life. This short song is possibly my least favorite from Dark Adrenaline. But the opening riffs of the final song, "My Spirit," grabbed my attention. Andrea's verses definitely aren't the best part of the song, and Cristina steals the show again in the chorus. The bridge is most unique with its narration in a language I do not know (it's probably Itallian, considering Lacuna Coil is from Italy). After that point, the song began to give me chills with its dark harmonies. The album closes with a final guitar solo, finally leaving us with a choral synth that's bound to leave an impact.

Dark Adrenaline is a pretty decent album. None of these songs bother me in any way, and there were a few excellent tracks that came from it, such as "Trip the Darkness," "Against You," "Upsidedown," "End of Time," "Intoxicated," "Losing My Religion," and "My Spirit." But, my only problem with it has been my only complaint with this band in general: Some songs will leave an impact on me, but many do not. As I mentioned, too many of their songs often blurr together and remain unmemorable to my taste.

Fans that loved Karmacode and Shallow Life entirely will likely enjoy this new release, too. As for me, I liked this album better than those previous two releases; I think Lacuna Coil is headed in a positive direction. This album is dark but it'll get you pumped, and though some tracks may blurr together in your memory, the ones that stick out will be in your head for a long time.

3.5/5 Stars

Classics: Dracula by Bram Stoker

As a fan of nearly all variations of vampires in fiction, I definitely wanted to read Bram Stoker's Dracula, which was the spark of it all. This novel has had a major impact on the world, even on those who do not dwell within the fictional realm. When people hear the name Dracula, they do not think of Vlad the Impaler. Instead, they think of this intriguing, dark vampire who's story has been alive for over a century.

When one of my friends got a copy of Dracula before me, she said that the writing was "too old-fashioned" and she gave up. I think I laughed a little on the inside due to her ridiculous complaint. Since I usually love older works due to their general style, I knew I'd love this book... But I didn't. Not because it is "old" or anything like that (if I had a problem with that sort of thing, I wouldn't have created a meme where I talk about classic novels), but because it was poorly written. Even for the time period it was wirtten in, it wasn't very good. Edgar Allan Poe's time came before Dracula (though within the same centruy) so Stoker had no excuse. Really, Bram Stoker seemed to set himself up by writing a novel full of diary entries and friendly letters, for they made the story so passive. Rarely did anything exciting ever happen in these entries, but when something did occur, it felt more like a distant dream, as if none of it was happening.

However, the very beginning was sort of interesting. I actually enjoyed hearing about Jonathon Harker's story at first because of the eerie events that took place, but that writing style just can't pull off an entire book. After a while, I just didn't care about Miss Lucy's letters and the headache became too sharp.

Fellow readers, I have a confession to make: I simply could not finish this book. The fact that I couldn't do it angered me, so I tried reading it again. Still, the second time proved no better than the first. For the second time, I gave up. Maybe someday I'll get around to reading the entire thing, but I highly doubt it. This book just didn't work for me.

Though I did not get an enjoyable reading experience from Dracula, I know that many did. I even wish I could have found some way to appreciate it; that's why I tried reading it again. After all, this story has had such an influence. People wouldn't think of vampires the same way without it, and they wouldn't have their favorite nightmarish tale. Obviously, this book is far from my favorite, but I know a lot of the movies and books I like probably wouldn't exist without it.

I don't have to cherish what I don't like, but I'll try to see the good in it, especially considering it's an unforgettable classic of its time.