On The Avenger Related Films

           As I mentioned in my Superman post, I'm not much of a fan of comics.  Not that there is anything wrong with them, I just never made it a habit of reading them.  In my childhood, no one I knew really read comics as we were all riding bikes, watching cartoons, playing made up games, or playing video games.  Later in my life, when I was old enough to actually appreciate them and read them, comics were dead in the modern world and once again no one I knew read them so I had no drive to read them.  That, however, that doesn’t stop the fact that series created by both Marvel and D.C. Comics were staples in my youth as I watched the animated adaptations of them all the time.  When the film adaptations were released, I always saw them at one point or another and with the film adaptation of Thor due for release later this week, I thought I'd give my thoughts on all the Avenger related films.  This post will contain my thoughts on the films Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Hulk, and The Incredible Hulk.  I won't go into the 1990 film Captain America because I never saw it or any of the TV adaptations because if I do, well be here until August.  So for now, this is The Illusive One's thoughts on the Avenger Related Films.

Hulk

           To start things off, let’s take a look back at Ang Lee's 2003 film, Hulk.  To this day, it's considered to be one of the worst superhero films ever made, (although I'd have to give the crown in this category to Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer).  Now, to start off, I'm going to admit two things.  First, I haven't seen this film in years, so this is just based on my memory of it.  Second, when I first saw this film, I didn't think it was that bad.  Your opinion of me may be lessened by this news but at least some people shared my opinion as it grossed over 200 million so make of that what you will.  It starred Eric Bana as Bruce Banner, Jennifer Connelly as Betty Ross, Sam Elliot as General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, Josh Lucas as Major Glenn Talbot, and Nick Nolte as David Banner, Banner's insane father.  The plot of it revolves around Banner just before and after he has been exposed to the radiation that turns him into the Hulk as he tries to hide it and then uses it to defend himself from Thunderbolt and later against his insane father.

            From what I remember, the casting of this film was perfect.  I always thought Bana was good as Banner, Connelly was good as Betty and Josh Lucas was just a dick as Talbot.  Despite the fact the part was mostly made up for the film, I thought Nolte was delightfully insane as Banner's father.  But I have to say, the best in the cast was Sam Elliot as Thunderbolt who was ruthless but could be sympathetic and was probably the best decision they made for this film.  I also thought some of the action scenes were good, especially when the Hulk threw a tank across a desert or spit a missile at a chopper. 

            On the negative side, however, the film completely departed from the storyline of the original comics.  It made the reason for Banner's transformation genetic, something only awakened by the accident rather than being the cause.  The plot just sucked and the directorial style did likewise.  For one thing, it did that thing where they place multiple camera angles into a single shot similar to the way they did in 24, but it didn't work well in it at all and was just flat out annoying.  While I thought Nick Nolte was great in his part, it, like the rest of the plot elements, made no since and of all the Marvel villains they could have used, they just made this one up, (although I have heard that he is loosely based off an obscure Marvel villain known as the Absorbing Man but it was still a poor choice).   Then you had the Hulk himself who looked like a cartoon and was just too indestructible.  I know that's suppose to be the idea of it, but this film just took it a little too far.  To sum up my negative thoughts for this film in a single sentence; it was an action film that tried to be artsy or an artsy film that tried to be an action movie, (I'm not sure which), and ended up failing at both.

            While the casting was good and some of the action scenes were entertaining, the rest of the movie just sucked.  The plot made no since, the characters likewise, and just couldn't stay true enough to the source material.

All Around

5/10

Iron Man

           What happens when you take a second rate superhero, put in the hands of a second rate director, and fill it up with cast members who aren't at the highest points of the careers?  Well, you get Iron Man and to tell you the truth I thought it was good but overrated film and before you get pissed off at me allow me to explain.  It was released in 2008 and stared Robert Downy Jr. as Tony Stark, Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane, Stark's mentor, Terrence Howard as Stark's best friend James “Rhodey” Rhodes, Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Stark's personal secretary, and was directed by Jon Favreau.  The plot of it mainly revolves around Stark as he first constructs the Iron Man suit, his fighting against terrorists, and attempts to get his company back under his control. 

            On the positive side, you have the acting.  Say what you want about Downy Jr., the guy was just perfect for the part.  In this film, he was all at once funny, an asshole, charming, cool, and a genius and you don't see too many characters like him.  Paltrow as Pepper was funny and serious all at once and Terrence Howard was perfect as Rhodey.  Then you have the individual scenes that were just funny as hell such as when he somehow talks people into doing whatever he wants them to.  For example, he manages to charm a reporter to sleep with him, even though she is trying to have a serious conversation.  Another that comes to mind is when he convinces Rhody to drink with him on his private jet and then the flight attendants start pole dancing.  I mean what the hell?!  Not a complaint but still, how did that happen?  There was also a lot of good humor in other parts, particularly revolving around Stark creating the suit and how he messes it up.  It's kind of odd, but it almost felt more like a comedy then a superhero film but it was still great in that department.

            On the negative side, there were very few action scenes in this film which is very surprising for any superhero film, especially one that was one of the highest grossing films of the year and the few action scenes they had were too short and weren’t satisfying at all.  Then you had Jeff Bridges as Stane who's role as a villain was ruined in the promos for this film, (the build up to it suggests it was suppose to be a twist), and to be fair, he wasn't that great of one.  Why?  Well, he was to obvious, he didn't play the part of a villain that well, and monologue to much when he had the hero right where he wanted him.  Biggest villain cliché in history.  Finally, it seemed like it was trying to be the Batman Begins of Iron Man; more focused on establishing the characters and technical aspects of everything, rather than just getting to it.

            All around, I did enjoy this film but thought it was overrated.  The casting was great, the special effect were done well, and was at times hilarious.  Unfortunately it spent too much time building up to the fighting and had very little payoff and Jeff Brides just wasn't that good as a villain.  It was good, but not that good.

All Around

8/10

The Incredible Hulk

           Ah, now this was the film adaptation fans of The Incredible Hulk had been waiting for.   Unfortunately it came out the same year as Iron Man so it’s lived in its shadow.  It starred Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky, Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, and William Hurt as General Thunderbolt.  The plot of this one revolved around Bruce Banner as he tried to find a cure for himself while avoiding Thunderbolt's men and fighting against Blonsky, the specialist they brought in who would eventually become the Abomination.

            On the positive side, this film had everything Ang Lee's Hulk lacked.  The action was good and believable, (as far as the subject matter goes), and the Hulk didn't look like a cartoon in this one.  Granted, it was still obviously CGI but it actually looked like something that could be real, where as the last one just looked like Shrek on steroids or something.  You also had a great antagonist in Blonsky who would later become the Abomination and the final fight between it and the Hulk was just awesome.  It also contained many references to the original series from the 1970s, ranging from the look of Banner's laboratory to the theme song and they were nice little tributes.

            On the negative side, however, this film lacked everything that was good about Ang Lee's Hulk.  Norton was good as Banner but he wasn't great either and the same can be said for the rest of the cast with the exception of Tim Roth.  Most of the actors seemed like they were their just to collect a paycheck and get on with their days and there was very little dialoged throughout the entire film and most of it was spoken blandly without much effort behind it.

            With that said, I thought the action in this film was great, as were the little references to the old series but it suffered from bland acting and little dialoged.  It's not terrible but it certainly could have been a lot better.

All Around

7/10

            Before I move on, I have to mention that the part of Bruce Banner has once again been recast for the upcoming Avengers film.  This time the part is going to Mark Ruffalo, who had apparently been everyone's original choice but the CEO of Marvel at the time wanted Norton for the part so he got it.  Film studio politics.  Don't you just love them?

Iron Man 2

           Last on my little list and, until Saturday, the last of the Avenger related films, is Iron Man 2.  Released last year, so far, it's the only sequel to any of the Avenger related films.  All of the previous cast members returned, with the exception of Terrence Howard, who was replaced by Don Cheadle, (studio politics again I assume) and I found this a bit strange, considering that they casted Howard for the part because they thought he would be good as War Machine in the sequels.  Ironic, isn't it?  Anyway, this film added Mickey Rourke to the cast as the villain Ivan Vanko, a.k.a. Whiplash, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, Stark's corporate rival, and Scarlet Johansson as Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow.  In it, Stark tries to resist the government's attempts to claim the Iron Man suit, while dealing with a slow but steady poisoning of his body, due to his use of the arc reactor.  To complicate matters further, Ivan Vanko, son of a man who co-designed the original arc reactor shows up with his own arc reactor powered weapons with a vendetta against Stark.

            On the positive side the cast members who returned were all once again great in their parts.  Don Cheadle was good as Rhodey, and the new cast members were great in their parts.  Mickey Rourke was a great villain, Samuel L. Jackson was perfect as Fury, (but can you really think of a part he hasn't been great in?), Scarlett Johansson was great as Black Widow, (although they kind of drifted from the original character's profile), and Sam Rockwell was great as Hammer.  The action in this film was also a lot more satisfying then the action of the first film and the first fight with Whiplash was incredibly entertaining, (although in ways you wouldn't expect).  The humor was also good, mainly revolving around Stark's antics, thinking death was near but wasn't as funny as the first film.

            On the negative side, the action scenes were once again a bit underwhelming.  Even though it was better than the action in the first film, it was still a bit of a letdown, particularly the final fight with Whiplash.  And once again, the humor was good but just wasn't as good as the humor in the first film.  Finally, the ending just felt rushed and I don't know how else to describe it. 

            All around, I have to say this film wasn't really any better or worse than the first.  They improved where they needed to improve but not by a great deal and the humor went a bit downhill but not by much.  Maybe it's because I didn't hear as much praise on this film as I did the first but this one seemed just as good as the first and just as bad. 

All Around

8/10

           So what else can I say about these films?  Well, they're all typical summer blockbusters and not much more.  Each film is good, but they're by no means perfect and I personally prefer the dark tone of other films like the latest Batman films or Watchmen as opposed to these films.  Don't get me wrong.  I still enjoy them but I don't think any of them have a chance of being remembered in the long run.  Thor is due for release this Saturday and I don't think it's going to be much different.  It looks like it will be good but not much more than a popcorn movie.  Then in June, Captain America is being released, and I have no intention of seeing that.  Why you may ask?  Well, Iron Man and Thor may be second rate superheroes but Captain America....I don't know what to say and if you can't figure it out on your own....you have my pity.

           And those are my thoughts on the current Avenger related films.  Some of you may hate me for my opinion on these films but I say each to his own.  I may or may not see Thor later this month, so don't expect a review on it anytime soon.  So until next time, this is the Illusive One-

(Bullet flies past Illusive One's head)

Illusive One: WHOA!  WHAT THE HELL!?  OH CRAP! KORSGAARD!

Korsgaard: HOW DARE YOU GIVE IRON MAN A LESS THAN PERFECT REVIEW!

Illusive One:  SHIT! I GOTTA GO!  LATER!

(Illusive One runs out of building as more bullets are shot at Illusive One)

Korsgaard:  HOLD STILL SO I CAN SHOOT YA!

Illusive One:  YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!

Korsgaard:  WHO SAID THAT WAS MY INTENTION?!

Illusive One: SHIT!

To be continued..........

The Confession and Why It’s Different From Any Other Web Series

           As I mentioned in my previous posts, I love web series.  Often they're short, entertaining, and laugh out loud funny.  Often these series, however, are made by people who went to film school and know all the things about film making but were unable to make it big in to the main stream.  Often the production value of these shows will be bad and most could probably do with better writing. 

           For example, episodes of Red V.S. Blue and The Angry Video Game Nerd tend be hit or miss and The Nostalgia Critic's material tends to be a bit repetitive.  The effects of these series’ tend to be a bit cheap and the people who star in them aren’t known for anything else and probably won't be known for anything else.  Even other web series that air on Hulu tend to either be limited to short reality show and short talk shows and likewise have people who will probably never be known for anything else. 

            And then you have The Confession, which is the complete opposite of all these web series and is probably the best web series I have ever seen.  So what makes this series so different?  Well, for those of you who don't know, I shall enlighten you.  This is The Illusive One's take on The Confession and why it's so different from other web series.

            The Confession is a ten part web series that aired on Hulu, beginning on March 28^th, 2011 and ended yesterday on May 2^nd.  The story revolves a hit man, (only know as the Confessor), who walks into a confession booth one day and begins talking to a priest about the nature of evil after seeing a man he killed completely a peace with his fate after making his peace with God.  In the process, he tells the Priest his life's story as a killer and the Priest likewise tells the Confessor his so they are able to relate to one another as the Priest tries to convince the Confessor to stop killing and the Confessor tries to bring the Priest to his way of thinking and was a unique look at good and evil.  As the series progresses, we find that the Confessor isn't as evil as he was suggested to be in the first episode as he is able to show acts of mercy and compassion.  We also find that the Priest isn't as good as the series first suggested, as he had done horrible things in his past that drove him to the church.  Sold yet?  Well, if not, keep on reading.

            Where this series shines, is in its choice in actors and great writing as it had first rate actors in the lead roles and actual script writers and film directors writing and directing.  Kiefer Sutherland was perfect as the Confessor and I doubt anyone could have been better for this role.  John Hurt was likewise great as the Priest but he was kind of overshadowed by Sutherland.  The storyline revolving around the two characters was just great and kept you in suspense and eager for the next episode.  The only real problems I had with the plot and characters was that the end twist was a little predictable and I felt the Priest said “God forgive me” a little too much.  That aside, the series had great acting with great characters and great writing and is what makes the series worth watching.

            As far as web series' goes, The Confession actually had good production value.  The set design, cinematography, camera angles, and general directorial style used for the series were great and actually surpass many of the things they have T.V. nowadays.  The down side to this, however, is that a lot of the effects sucked.  When a gun shot with a silencer, it was good but most of the other sound effects were bad.  Any gunshot without a silencer didn't sound right or sounded like a generic gun shot; an effect that anyone could pull off but fails to sound real.  The same goes for when someone is being punched or kicked as it sounded too generic and flat out stupid.  Then you had the blood spatter effects that were either bad or nonexistent.  For example, when the Confessor shoots someone in the head the blood that appeared behind the victim just looked beyond fake.  Keep in mind, however, that it's just a web series and they probably had a limited budget and more than likely spent most of their money in the filming process.

           All around, it was a great little series and a welcome departure from both the usual web series and T.V. series.  It had a great plot, great acting and great writing and that's what separates it from all other web series.  What separated it from T.V. series was that it was about a hit man who is unapologetic about what he does and shows no intention of stopping.  You can't put lead characters like that on prime time.  One of the best things about this series is that each episode is only around six minutes long with the longest episode around ten minutes.  As I mentioned the series did have its flaws but the bad never outweighed the good.  In truth, my biggest problem with it was that it showed no sign of continuing after the final episode and that disappointed me.  So if you have an hour and a half to spare, I would highly recommend watching this series as it's worth every second.  It's truly a great web series so check it out and let’s hope it paves the way for more like it in the future.

All Around

9/10

Superman Renounces American Citizenship

            This month has easily been my most lax month of the year as I only published ten posts including this one and two of which were only short announcements.  Why is this?  Well, I honestly don't think you care so let’s just movie on.  So how am I going to end this slack month?  Well, I think I'll do something different and there are two things I have avoided throughout my blog.  The first is comic books, as I don't read them and the second is politics as I tend to be a bit cynical and indecisive when it comes to them.  And believe it or not, I actually found something that involves both subjects and I feel it's something I have to give my thoughts on.

            On Thursday, April 28^th, Action Comics released their record-breaking, 900^th issue of Superman.    In it, Superman makes the decision to renounce his American citizenship, citing that he is tired of having his actions interpreted as US policy and that his old motto of truth, justice and the American way just isn't enough anymore.  The writers' decision to do this has instantly sparked controversy among fans and critics.  Some believing that this was a good choice as Superman's choices were always bigger then America while others thinks it shows blunt lack of patriotism and makes him a metaphor for the country's current economic and political status the county holds on the global scale.  That may be looking a little too deeply into it but I can see how someone can interpret that way.

            So what are my thoughts on this?  Well, more power to the writers for one thing.  Anyone who can take such a big step outside of the box has my respect.  As far as the decision itself goes, it's not like they can't undo it in the next issue.  The point of it, however, was to have Superman put a global focus on his never ending battles; to make the world his main focus rather than just America.  My biggest problem with this is that it seems a little redundant.  He's always already defending the Earth against intergalactic invaders like Brainiac and Darkseid, so doesn’t that imply that he is already Earth's guardian rather than just America's?  Maybe this was just meant to cement the fact but I still felt it was redundant for the character to flat out say it. 

            As far as the people who say it makes Superman a metaphor on America's recent decline I say again that they're looking too deeply into it.  The ideas that the writers had the character renounce his citizenship because they think America is a sinking ship is just stupid.  To me, it's about the same as saying a man is socialist for putting the needs of a whole community over the needs of a single neighborhood. 

            Putting the needs of the world as a whole, rather than a single country, is something that I can't help but admire and I support the writers' decision to permanently take Superman in this direction.  Maybe having him renounce his U.S. citizenship was taking it a little too far but it was still a great way to etch his new world wide policy in stone.  And those are my thoughts on Superman renouncing his U.S. Citizenship.             

Disturbed's Singles

          As I stated on my previous post Disturbed's albums as wholes were hit or miss.  The singles, however, are usually great and are a subject of their own and I felt they deserved their own post.  So here are The Illusive One's thoughts on Disturbed's singles.



Stupify

           Stupify was Disturbed's first single and was one of the few Disturbed songs to contain rapping, (and thank God for that).  Despite this, I really like this song.  The rifts, drums, bass and lyrics all match perfectly to make one hell of a song.  The lyrics also seem to contain a young person’s perspective of reality and racism and this has always been something that has hit hard for me.  This has been supported by lead singer Draiman that the lyrics were inspired by racism he dealt with as a Jew and how people he knew dealt with it as well.  The video for the song features the band performing the song in a rusted cellar-like room, intercut with footage of a young boy sitting in the same room and as the song progresses, the boy is revealed to be haunted by demon-like creatures.  What does this have to do with the song itself?  I don't know but it somehow matches perfectly.  All around, a great song and a great start to Disturbed future singles.

9/10



Down with the Sickness

           Now this is a great song.  For me, everything about this song is perfect.  The guitar rifts are perfect, they lyrics are perfect, the bass is perfect, and the drums are perfect.  Then you have that weird noise Draiman makes throughout that song and to this day I still don't know what the hell that was supposed to be but it's still just a great fucking song.  Unlike most of Disturbed's other songs, they don't seem to contain any kind of underlying themes, (or if they do I don't know about them), but it still kicks ass!  Every time I hear this song I want to kick some ass or get my ass kicked!  For such a great song however, it has a really crappy music video, only featuring live performances by the band and I hate music videos that do that.  But that doesn’t change the fact that it's a kickass song.  It's just a good old fashion, head banging, mosh pitting type song and I love every second of it.

10/10

Voices

           This one is probably my least favorite of The Sickness singles as it just wasn't as intense or as catchy as the others.  It's usually one I tend to skip over on my playlist and just isn't that memorable compared to Down with the Sickness and Stupify.  They lyrics, guitar, bass and drums were all just ok and that's all I really have to say about it.  The song seems to be about the voices that exist in all our heads to do evil things but it just could have been better.  It's not great.  It's not bad.  It's just ok.  And that's all.

7/10

The Game

            Another Sickness song that's not great but still good.  The problem with it is that the first thirty seconds of the song have such great lyrics to it that the rest of the song just seems bland in comparison.  I did enjoy it more than Voices but it's still a forgettable compared to Down with The Sickness and Stupify.

7.5/10

Prayer

           Most of the songs in Believe are spiritual in lyrical nature and Prayer is the best of these.  The instrument work in it is ok but the lyrics are what make the song.  I don't know how to explain why I like them so much other then saying it takes me to another frame of mind.  Essentially the song is about Draiman having a conversation with God, telling Him to bring it on if He is trying to use pain to get a response from Draiman and that's all you can say in that kind of situation.  The music video shows Draiman walking down the street while looking at people in states of desperation while the world seems to crumble around him. In fact, the music video was actually banned by several media outlets, citing the similarities to the images of the September 11^th Attacks.  While I personally found this stupid it was still something I had to mention.  All around, Prayer was a great song with a great music video.  It's not their best single, but it is one the best.

9/10

Remember

           This song always struck me as being a brother song to Prayer; like they were intended to be one song but instead was split into two.  The rifts were good, as was the beat and, like Prayer, puts me in another state of mind, but it just couldn't escape Prayer shadow.  The whole song seems to be about someone remembering a better time and just struck me as being depressing.  It's a good song but just listening to it dampens my mood.

  8.5/10

Liberate

           Now this is a good, fast passed song.  Great rifts, great lyrics, great bass, and great drums.  It manages to capture both the speed and intensity of The Sickness, but at the same time had the spiral lyrics many of Believe’s songs contained.  The lyrics seem to be about liberating yourself from the hatred and darkness that exist within everyone's hearts and not to wait for a modern messiah to do it for you.  For some reason, however, this song is probably the least know of Disturbed's Believe singles and I don't know why.  It's faster passed then Prayer and Remember, yet still has the same type of lyrics.  Does anyone have an answer for me?  Well, anyway it's a great but underrated song and it's tied as my favorite Believe song with Prayer.

9/10

Guarded

           The first single of Ten Thousand Fists, Guarded is a fast passed song with great lyrics and great rifts.  Of all of Disturbed's singles, it's probably the least known but it's just as good as all of the other songs on Ten Thousand Fists.  The lyrics seem to address someone who keeps themselves guarded from others and how doing this leaves them isolated.  The only problem I have with this song is that it tends to repeat itself in its lyrics and rifts in a way no other Disturbed song does.  But still, it's a good song and a great start to the Ten Thousand Fists singles.

8.5/10

Stricken

           Now, this is probably Disturbed's most overrated song but still is a great one.  It had great rifts, a good guitar solo, great lyrics to tie it all in together and contained the first guitar solo to be featured on a Disturbed song.  As a whole, the song seems to be about someone who can't get over a lost lover.  But what drove this song to its current state of popularity?  Guitar Hero III.    It blew the song way out of proportions and people who hadn't even heard of Disturbed thought of that song when Disturbed was mentioned.  The truth of the matter is that the song, while good, is not any better or worse than the other songs of Ten Thousand Fist.  It's a good song but very overrated.

8.5/10

Just Stop

           Yet another of underrated song from Ten Thousand Fists, Just Stop is the slowest passed of the Ten Thousand Fists singles.  While good, it was slow and just didn't have the same feel as the others.  In fact the lyrics actually seem to be about someone asking for people to stop being so critical and judgmental and I don't entirely know what to make of this.  It is the lesser of the Ten Thousand Fists singles but still a good song all the same.

8/10

Land of Confusion

           Disturbed's best known cover, Land of Confusion was a covered from the band Genesis and is the most known cover of this song.  According to Draiman, the idea was to take a song that was nothing like them and make it their own and to their credit, they did this.  The rifts were heavier; the lyrics felt darker, replaced a few and added in the animal like sounds Draiman makes.  As if it wasn't good enough, the song's music video was an animated music video done by Todd McFarlane, famous as creator of the Spider-Man villain Venom and for his work with the Spawn series and this video has to be seen to be believe as my words can't do it justice.  All around, a great cover of a great song and my second favorite of the Ten Thousand Fists singles

9/10

Ten Thousand Fists

           Another great, yet underrated, single from the Ten Thousand Fists album, this song had everything.  It had great lyrics, great guitar riffs, great bass, great drums and gets me pumped in a way no other song other the Down with the Sickness can.  The meaning of the song is simple; stand up for what you believe in and signifies strength, unity, conviction and power.  Simple, but still a great was of conveying it.  Unfortunately, it was a song that I always felt got swept under the rug but it's still one of my favorite of Disturbed's singles.

9.5/10

Inside the Fire

           As a whole, Indestructible was Disturbed's worst album, but damn, did it have some great singles and one of the best is Inside the Fire.  Inspired by an incident from Draima's teen years, the song is basically about the devil or some other demonic creature telling someone to kill themselves after a loved one commits suicide so they may join her in hell.  It's a very sensitive subject as most people probably know at least one person who has, or tried, to commit suicide and I think only Disturbed could have pulled off a song dealing with it.  And it's a great song.  A bit of a downer but still a great one with great lyrics, great rifts, great bass and great drums and it's probably my second favorite song by Disturbed.  The music video is likewise very touchy and the first time I saw it I couldn't believe what I was seeing and like the Land of Confusion video, words can't do it justice.  The song and music video were actually edited for mainstream play, editing out all the dark content, (as I said, it's a touchy matter), and the video just had the band performing.  Last to mention is that it was Disturbed's first single to be nominated for a Grammy and, once again, I make no apologies when I say Wax Simulacra was a terrible song and should not have received the award.  A great song and one of Disturbed's best.

10/10

Perfect Insanity

           Perfect Insanity was actually a demo song Disturbed had recorded back in the late 90s before recording The Sickness and the band opted to re-recorded it with Indestructible as a way to get back to their state of mind when they were first starting out.  The instrument work is good and work perfectly with the lyrics, but it's the lyrics that make this song worth wile.  Essentially, the song is about a guy who is insane and is warning people around him about his psychotic tendencies and it puts me in a demented mood every time I hear it.  A great song with great lyrics that brings out the inner psycho in me.

9/10

Indestructible

           What a title for a song.  Like most of Disturbed's singles it was great all around with its own meanings.  This one, however, actually has two themes, the first being an anthem to solders.  While the band has stated that they are not pro-war by any means, they will still support our troops anyway they can and this song is meant to be something that will make the troops who listen to it to feel indestructible and inspire them in battle.  It's other meaning has to do with the band itself as by this point they had been together for about ten years by this point and symbolizes the fact that Disturbed is still here and won't be going anywhere.  Regardless of how you want to interpret it, it's a great song with great themes.

9/10

The Night

           Now this is another song that, for me, was just perfect.  The guitar riffs, lyrics, bass, and drums were all in perfect harmony.  It's a song that is difficult to describe other then saying it takes me to another frame of mind, similar to the singles of Believe, but had perfect guitar riffs to accompany the perfect lyrics.  It's all at once catchy and comforting and I love every second of it.  I will warn anyone who hasn't seen the music video, however, to stay away from it, as it's just a weird video and nearly ruined this song for me.  And that all I have to say on it.

10/10

Another Way to Die

           The first of the Asylum singles, it happens to be the first of Disturbed's singles to feature lyrics that dealt with the environment.  Instrumentally, it starts off a bit slow but then picks up with great guitar riffs, great drum beats with great lyrics to complete it.  The main issue discussed within the song is that our constant and irresponsible consumption of the world's resources is going is to destroy us in the end and while everyone may not agree with the global warming issue this is something that is very much a problem and will sooner or later catch up with us.  The music video furthers this by showing the world deprived of resources, of people struggling to survive, and stock footage of huge amounts of garbage and pollution relating to the song.  As a whole, this song isn't the albums best single but is a great song with a great message.  It's more than ok, but is by no means perfect.

8.5/10

Asylum

           Now this is an interesting song.  My second favorite of the Asylum singles, the lyrics, rifts, bass and drums all matched perfectly to install a sense of rush and panic within the listener as if something is after said listener.  The song seems to be about someone who is insane, has been locked up in an asylum and is trying to survive in his state of insanity.  The music video was one of the best I've ever seen as it depicts a man within an asylum who is constantly being killed by the asylum workers or killing himself to escape them but finds himself constantly coming back to life and having to relive the horror of it the asylum over and over again.  As a whole, it was dark, edgy, catchy and great.

8.5/10

The Animal

           Very much like The Night, the lyrics, bass, rifts and drums of The Animal all match perfectly to make a song that takes me to another frame of mind.  It's also a catchy song that, unlike The Night, makes me think about fighting to the death every time I hear it.  My own personal interpretation of this song is that it's about the animal tendencies people go through when in a fight but I've also heard it's simply about someone who turns into a werewolf under the full moon, (though personally I like my version better).  Regardless of what it's supposed to mean, it's still a great song and probably Asylum's best single.

9/10

Warrior

           So far this is the last of Disturbed's singles and to be fair, this one is probably the worst of the Asylum four.  While it is catchy and fast passed, it just wasn't as good as the other three.  It didn't seem as intense or deep as the other songs and it actually surprised me that it was released as a single.  The song seems to be about an arrogant warrior crushing his enemies without mercy in hopes that it will bring him fame and glory.  A good concept for a song and well executed but it's not their best.  Don't get me wrong.  It was a good song but there were other songs on Asylum that I felt deserved to be singles more than this one.

8/10

           And those are my thoughts on Disturbed's singles.  On the whole, their albums are hit or miss but their singles are always, (with only one or two exceptions), great and those are the songs that really got me into this band.  Pop, rap, and country stars come and go, rise and fall in popularity, but Disturbed's has always remained great and, to me, will always be the best.  What I really love about these songs and this band, however, is that unlike other bands, these songs were meant to be empowering; meant to help people set down their burdens for a while and make them feel powerful and invincible; to make them believe in something as opposed to believe in nothing and this is why I look always forward to Disturbed's next album.  Other musicians, on the other hand, seem content with just whining about their own short comings and are intent on dragging us down with them or praising their own success and making their fans feel inadequate.  So to them, I say Fuck You!  Fuck all those other genres!  Fuck all those other whiny, emo bands!  And Fuck anyone who disagrees with me!  Disturbed forever!

            And that is why I don't do too much on music.  I tend to get way to into it and am way to prejudice when it comes to certain bands.  As this is my first real attempt to go in depth with a band's songs as well as their albums, I'm curious to know what others think of these posts so please give me your opinions.   Until next time, this is The Illusive One saying, Spread the Sickness.  Infect the world.

 

On Disturbed's Studio Albums

           Disturbed.  Yes I am, but that's not what this article is about.  No, this article is going to be on the hard rock/heavy metal/nu-metal band Disturbed, their five studio albums, their singles and my thoughts on them.  I’ve been meaning to do something like this for a while but wasn’t entirely sure how it would work or turn out so I put it off while.  What encouraged me to finally put this together?  I'm not entirely sure but it probably has something to do with their tour this summer.

            This is going to be a two part article, the first dealing with Disturbed's Studio Albums and the second dealing with their singles as I feel that each deserves their own discussions.  Before I start this post, let me just say it took me a while to put this article together, as while I was working on it I was going through a bit of a lazy phase where I just didn’t have the will or motivation to do any of my posts for some reason.  But I'm pleased to say that it's gone and I'm back and I can only hope this article turns out to be satisfying at the most.  So with that said, here are my thoughts on Disturbed's Studio Albums.



The Sickness

           The band Disturbed was formed in the mid-1990's in Chicago under the name Crawl but switched to Brawl as the name was already taken and was finally named Disturbed after lead singer David Draiman joined and took charge of the band.  At the time it was Draiman, lead guitarist Dan Donegan, bass player Steve “Fuzz” Kmak, and drummer Mike Wenger.  Not long after Draiman joined, the band released its first studio album, The Sickness on March 7^th, 2000 and it instantly made them famous, reaching 27 on the 200 Billboard Chart and, to this day, is their highest selling album.  On this album, there are a lot of great tracks to choose from.  Stupify, Voices, The Game, Conflict, Shout 2000, and Meaning of Life; all are great.  The greatest of all these songs, however, was Down with the Sickness and it's the song that made the CD so popular and is to this day their most popular song.  There are a few less notable songs like Numb and Want but it doesn’t change the fact that this album is awesome and was what set the stage for their future work.

9.5/10



Believe

           Immediately after the success of The Sickness washed over Disturbed, they began work on their second album, Believe.  It was released on September 17^th, 2002 and was their first number one album.  I have to say though, I wasn't too impressed by it.  Most of the songs are worth listening to but failed to impress me the same way The Sickness did.  The lyrics were a bit more spiritual involving the bands, (or at least Draiman's), views on religion and were less intense then the songs of The Sickness.  Not to say I hated this album but there were only a few songs that were memorable.  All the other songs were good, but relatively forgettable in the long run and this happens to be my second least favorite of Disturbed's studio albums.  In comparison to The Sickness, the lyrics were tame, the rifts weren't as intense and most people agree that it's their worst album alongside Indestructible.  It did have some great singles however.  Prayer was a great song and remains one of Disturbed's best and I've never got sick of listening to Liberate.  But as a whole, it was Disturbed's second worst.

8/10

Ten Thousand Fists

           It took Disturbed three years to release this album as they were having troubles within the band.  It has never been entirely explained what happened within the band but after Disturbed's Believe Tour, bass player Steve “Fuzz” Kmak left the band, citing only disputes between Draiman and himself.  He would then be replaced by John Moyer who has been with the band since.

            Ten Thousand Fists was released on September 30^th, 2005 and was their second number one album and is to date their second best selling album of all time.  And for me, this is my all time favorite.  Stricken, Land of Confusion, Guarded and Ten Thousand Fists; all were just fucking awesome.  I just don't know how else to describe them as no adjective can convey how much I loved these songs.  What really made the album great, however, was that every song, (and I mean every song), on this album was great, didn't outshine each other, and I can listen to them again and again without getting sick of them.  Other then that I really don't have much to say about it, other than I think it deserves to be Disturbed's number one album.  Seriously!  If you're reading this go out and buy a copy of Ten Thousand Fists!  Fuck the pirating sites! Fuck iTunes!  Go out and buy this album!  The Illusive One Demands It!

10/10

Indestructible

           Once again it took Disturbed three years to put this album together as it was their first self produced effort.  Having been in the business a few years they decided they wanted to try producing for themselves and the result was Indestructible, their third number one album, making them only one of six bands to have three consecutive, number one, studio albums.  But what of the album itself?  Well, it tended to be hit or miss.  Indestructible, Inside the Fire, and The Night were masterpieces and goes to show how great the band is at singles.  Inside the Fire even got a Grammy nomination for best Hard Rock Performance, (yet somehow lost to Wax Simulacra and I make no apologies when I say that was a terrible song).  That said, most of the tracks got old really fast and were good but not memorable.  The singles were great and remained etched in my head but as a whole album this one was their worst.

7.5/10



Asylum

           Two years after Indestructible, the band released their second self produced album, Asylum.  It was released on August 31^th 2010 and, surprise, it was their fourth consecutive number one studio album making them only one of three bands to accomplish this, (the other two being the Dave Mathews Band and Metallica).  And I have to say, this one was great.  As a self produced effort, it was a vast improvement over Indestructible and I can't help but compare it to Ten Thousand Fists.  Like Ten Thousand Fists, each song was great and I can listen to them again and again without getting sick of them.  The singles are good and still get me pumped but they just weren’t as good as those of other albums.  As a whole, however, this album was great.  It still doesn’t surpass The Sickness or Ten Thousand Fists and has kind of a weird place of being in-between Believe and The Sickness but on the whole it was a great album and I encourage anyone to listen to it.

9/10

           And that's it for my thoughts on the studio albums.  Next I'll be getting into Disturbed’s singles, as I feel they deserve a post of their own.  The albums can be hit or miss but the individual singles are usually great so my thoughts on them are coming up next on The Illusive One's Reviews.