Wired

I can remember a 17/18 year old me opening up Kerrang! and reading about a band called Mallory Knox. The article caught my attention because I used to know a guy called Mike Chapman but the more I looked I realised that this Mikey Chapman was ginger and didn't have any of the piercings that the guy I knew had. I youtubed them and stumbled across the song 'Beggars'. Instantly it spoke to me in a personal way and they became a band that I would remember the name of, would look out for and when I was a little older and settled in my life start to follow around on the tour. 'Beggars' changed the way that I looked at everything and my own personal issues. Two albums on they have released an entire album of what 'Beggars' was trying to say.

Mallory Knox released their third album 'Wired' today. As a fan who had the privilege of being part of the 100 people who were invited to a special acoustic gig I got to hear the entire album before everyone else and it only made me more excited to get my hands on the physical copy of the album and listen to it on loop.

Reading their own commentary on this album they feel that this record has allowed them to push themselves, give them a slightly different sound and talk about real things in a real word that they didn't feel able to do in the previous album. I loved Assymetry, I thought that it was 400 times better than their debut album 'Signals'. I couldn't find a song that I disliked off of the album and that made buying the new album a must but also made me a little cautious until I started to hear the singles being released and then the acoustic set that they did.

'Better off without you' is one song that has featured in interviews all over since its release as a single because if the mental health aspect of it. I know that I found it really easy to relate to this song and there were a lot of us who actually got to thank the band in person for writing a song like that, one that accurately sums up life with depression and giving it a rock feel that actually makes us want to walk around singing it at the top of our voices. 'Giving it Up' is another song. The opening drum sequence makes you wonder if Mallory have experimented with their sound and gone a little different but once Mikey comes in with 'Clean, I think it's time to come clean' you know that this is the Mallory you've waited years for. This entire album is maybe unintentionally focusing on mental health issues, from the first line of 'Giving it up', which is another song that you can quite happily walk around singing, through 'Saviour' and all the way to the last track on the album which is 'Mother'. Instead of just having the album at sex, drugs and alcohol, which has become typically associated with Rock and Roll music millions of people across the globe have got an album for when they are struggling mentally. This music will prove better than a therapist because you get to hear other people's experiences in this album.

Another thing to note is the development of the band as a whole. Each instrumentalist has developed greater skill on their instrument and Mikey's vocal range has developed, meaning that instead of almost slightly screaming or being restricted his voice has matured and is capable of more than it ever was on 'signals'. It's not just the playing and being able to listen to songs that have clear musical ideas and haven't adopted the power chord approach that so many heavy metal bands of new have gone for but the thinking behind each song. I know that they changed the way in which they recorded so that they recorded by song instead of by instrument and that has allowed them to play around with each song to make it the best that it can be. It's clear that they have something to say on this album and the message is so clear that this album should become a hit for them. Even if you aren't a fan of Rock music give this one a listen to or find the lyrics online for every song and read over them. This album is a true piece of artwork and each member of the band has stretched their mind and their own personal experiences and group experiences to create 11 songs that have a real meaning behind them. Songs like 'Ghost in the Mirror' from the previous album 'Assymetry' touched upon some of these issues but to produce a full album that has clearly challenged them in every way is admirable.

Mallory Knox are the exact idea of what a Rock Band should be. They aren't a band who produce one really good song on the entire album, they are a band who have produced a second consecutive almost flawless album. To date I can only think of Mumford and Sons who have managed to produce two albums back to back that are as good as each other. If you can think of any other bands or groups then please feel free to comment below.

If you are not a fan of Rock but want to hear some of their songs done in an acoustic like style then across London next week they are doing a series of 'un wired' gigs which if they are anything like the special one they did last week will be a really nice and relaxed environment of something like 5 songs from the album done in a different style, with a q&a and a signing. I took someone who had never even heard of Mallory Knox to the special fan event and he loved everything that they played. He had no real idea about rock music but he loved what they played. Buy the album, check out the lyrics, spend £10 and go to one of their acoustic gigs- it'll be worth it. Find tickets for their acoustic sets on their facebook page.

Fool the eye... Fool the brain: Assassins Creed

Fool the eye... Fool the brain: Assassins Creed: Really excited about this one. A little disappointed that it didn't make it to release last year as it was on the blog list for last yea...

Having undertaken this film challenge and taken on another blog to maintain in I now turn the attention of readers of this scarcely functioning blog to the new Assassins Creed film. If you have played the games then you absolutely MUST see the film. With no spin on the games and no direct relation other than the plot of the main story line is the same as the main story line in the games there is so much space for this film to do what it wants. I don't want to spoil the film, I want you to read my review of it and go and watch the film to see if you agree with me.

There is space for another film and it could become a huge franchise and demand so it is a very exciting time for fans of Assassins Creed!

Welcome Back!

First and foremost, let me apologise for it having taken so long for me to post or read another book. I have read a graphic novel in this time and am reading two books at the moment. Overall, I find it very difficult to actually read books, to remember what has happened in them and motivate myself to read.
Having seen the Baz Lurhman version of the film 'The Great Gatsby' and stumbling across a copy of it that found its way into my possession, I decided to apply myself to reading it.

There are some people that recommend that you should always read the book before seeing the film but because the film is so accurate, there is no harm in watching the film before reading the book. I actually find that having seen the film enabled me to visualise what Fitzgerald was writing. I tend to find that just the words in a book are next to never powerful enough to create a scene in my mind and this is the same for The Great Gatsby but with the help of the film I could imagine everything. Baz Lurhman got the script almost exactly word for word which really helps.

My Co-worker told me that it was a good book and I have to agree with him 100%. It's better than a good book, it's a brilliant book. The book doesn't drag on, doesn't loose you in the middle and doesn't rush through it. Ten chapters or so is a perfect amount for that story. Small chapters allowed me to keep motivating myself to read it because I was almost always something like two pages from the end of the chapter.
I can't say much about the language. I don't have a degree in English and can't give it the critical, analytical review that it might deserve or that maybe the readers want, I wouldn't know where to start and you'd be better off visiting An Armchair By The Sea blog as that is more her field than mine. What I can say about it is that both the film and the book got everything correct. It does seem that there is a prejudice against the wealthy but then maybe that was his experience. I felt like I understood the book and I was very impressed with the whole concept of the book. When I get something that is printed on old paper I half expect it to be a typical love story like so many of them are, but not this one, this is another great that goes up there with Harper Lee's To Kill A Mocking Bird.

If you haven't read it already- read it and watch the film!

Underneath the Scars

I know that it's been a super long time and i have to admit that this is how long it has taken me to read anything that isn't manga.
The book I read over Christmas was called Underneath the Scars.
You can imagine what the story is about from the name. A woman recalls her story about living with something called Amniotic Band Syndrome which made her arms and legs very scarred. This is a moving book and one that i am sure many people can relate to in some way.
I found myself completely hooked on this book from start to finish. I would recommend it to anyone- Candida Sullivan is the name you are looking for and after that just allow yourself to be open to the struggles that she faces.
Read it, let me know what you thought about it.

Music is back

Hey guys,
I know it's been a super long time since i reviewed any music so this time instead of doing a particular artist, I thought that i would take a quick look at the top 40 highest selling singles of 2014 and see if i agreed with them or not.
These are just my opinions and i don't want rants about how wrong I am. If you don't like what you're reading then just stop reading. We all like different things.

1	HAPPY	PHARRELL WILLIAMS- Truly genius song and well deserving of the top place. Pharrell is a genius (as proven by Blured lines) and the song just has an upbeat happy feel to it that everyone likes. Pharrell has a great voice and really brings something to the song with the higher notes in the song.
2	RATHER BE	CLEAN BANDIT FT JESS GLYNNE-  Justifies it's inclusion on the list but maybe not the best contender for second spot. As i'm listening to it I am dancing and have to admit liking it a lot  but i probably prefer Aloe Blacc's The Man instead.
3	ALL OF ME	JOHN LEGEND- Totally worth this spot. Something calmer and more emotional that has made a sensational breakthrough in music. Keeping just the basics to make a beautiful song. John Legend has a fabulous voice that hits the high notes beautifully and brings people to tears. At not point does he try to force the song.
4	WAVES	MR PROBZ- Another brilliant song. There's sensitivity in this song that other artists lack. It's a tough call but i'd be inclined to budge this up the list instead of rather be but this isn't a list of best songs, rather a list of highest selling songs and the public went for Rather Be more than they did Waves.
5	TIMBER	PITBULL FT KESHA-  A dancy song that makes you want to run like Phoebe from friends and do the funky chicken dance. Timber also has the folk feel from the strings that just makes you want to listen to blue grass and do things that you would never have dared to do before.
6	GHOST	ELLA HENDERSON- Nice to see someone going to back to experiment with different styles of singing. The guitar has the 'Ed Sheeran' feel to it but the vocals sliding in and out is a nice mix to normal things that Ed Sheeran does with his voice. Ella Henderson is like the female challenger to Ed Sheeran and much better.
7	STAY WITH ME	SAM SMITH- Overplayed. Sam Smith has a similar style of voice to Plan B but Stay with me lacked the musical production and quality that She Said had. I like the gospel backing vocals but this song is not as good as everyone thinks. Sam Smith is like Bruno Mars which equals to whinny and pathetic and really not as good as everyone makes out.
8	MY LOVE	ROUTE 94 FT JESS GLYNNE- As i'm listening i am getting the feeling that we've gone back to the nineties with a cracking beat and a few chords. It's definitely electro dance pop but i'm not sure that making club music is really the way to go. There's not enough in this song for me to justify it's inclusion on this list.
9	NOBODY TO LOVE	SIGMA-  not much to say about it. I am happy with where it is and can see why so many people bought thins song. I didn't feel that there was something that made it particularly outstanding but collectively it is worth being there or there abouts.
10	LET IT GO	IDINA MENZEL- one of the highest grossing singles when it was released and a world phenomenen. Instant hit with children and even adults love to sing it when drunk or at a party. Idina Menzel has excelled herself with this song and personally i think that she has set a career best with this song. In my opinion i would swap it with Sam Smith because i think that it's a much better song!
11	HIDEAWAY	KIESZA- not worth it's position on this list. Reminiscent of Angie Browns 1992 I'm Gonna Get You which was cracking and a hit in the nineties. This song has tried to develop the music more but its just not up with the others that are this high on the list.
12	DARK HORSE	KATY PERRY FT JUICY J- Not worth being on this list. Roar was a much better song. Katy Perry cannot pull of doing songs that aren't catchy and dance-able to. Roar had everything including the potential to make really good metal covers and Dark Horse has nothing. I would swap this for Roar and then leave it where it is.
13	SING	ED SHEERAN- I maintain that no Ed Sheeran song should be on this list but i almost liked this song. The problem is the guitar strum that just can't really make it's mind and doesn't quite fit with the drums. It sounds kinda messy but it's nice to see him trying something different... I just wish he would learn how to write lyrics.
14	MONEY ON MY MIND	SAM SMITH- Awefull. Especially the chorus bit. He just has a mess of vocals and does way too much in the song. There is nothing catchy about this song, only irritating. Sam Smith should quit now before he gets worse.
15	I GOT U	DUKE DUMONT FT JAX JONES- yeah..... like ok. Not grabbing me. Something that i would sit in a club having a chat over with a pint in one hand. Not something that i would sing along to and not really justifying it's place unless it was bought by every club worldwide.
16	RUDE	MAGIC- good to see that we are trying to incorporate reggae and Bob Marley back into popular music. One of the better songs on this list. It's got the kosak dance feel to it and enough to make you dance if you were high. This is a better song that it's successor.
17	SUMMER	CALVIN HARRIS- Really Catchy but i have to admit that i've never really been a big fan of Calvin Harris. I don't feel that it's fair to comment on it too much and it's probably just about suited where it is.
18	BUDAPEST	GEORGE EZRA- Has a really catchy chorus that makes up for the rest of the song being just about at par.
19	HEY BROTHER	AVICII- Like all Avicii songs, not a single one is bad. Hey Brother is a different change to 'Wake  me up' which is featuring Aloe Blacc. Instead of using the soul feel, Avicii has gone for a more country feel to this song and it has paid off to perfection. Thoroughly deserving of it's place on the list, but it should be higher and be above Ed Sheeran.
20	I WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN	RITA ORA- Nice. got a good feel to it and a happy feel to it. I love the style of it and the feel to the song. I would push this higher up the list, it's better than some of those directly above it.
21	PROBLEM	ARIANA GRANDE FT IGGY AZALEA- again i wasn't a huge fan of this song. Sometimes i hear a song that everyone is talking about and I just can't see the hype in it.
22	FEELIN' MYSELF	WILL I AM/CYRUS/KHALIFA- another god aweful song. Nothing to it. I expected more from WILL I AM being the producer that he is. It's just lacking in every way.
23	SAY SOMETHING	A GREAT BIG WORLD/AGUILERA- absolutely beautiful and much better with Christina. It's a lovely single without her but she adds the quality that brings people to tears in this duet. They sing so much pain that everyone has felt and Christina makes it real for everyone. It's hard to push it higher because it doesn't have that upbeat feel that makes people listen to it on repeat. You need to be in a certain mood to listen to it again and again.
24	FANCY	IGGY AZALEA FT CHARLI XCX- not a fan. I disliked it from the moment it started. Even Brittany Speers is better than this! Should be moved down on the list to the bottom.
25	HOW LONG WILL I LOVE YOU	ELLIE GOULDING- A solid contender for the spot it has been given. Ellie Goulding has class and shows it all the time in this song.
26	ONLY LOVE CAN HURT LIKE THIS	PALOMA FAITH- a massive thumbs up to Paloma Faith! Stunning song. The musical production is fantastic and her singing is exquisite. Should be moved up to where WILL I AM is.
27	TRUMPETS	JASON DERULO- Good enough to be on this list but not better than The Man. I know that this is showing what the public felt but i'm going to disagree with the people of the wold out there.
28	THE MAN	ALOE BLACC - Should be higher on the list. Upbeat and feel good is Aloe Blacc. Everyone wants to clap their hands together and start dancing with this song. It's a much better song than the public make it out to be. Aloe Blacc is better than everyone thinks and should be given more recognition.
29	LOYAL	CHRIS BROWN/LIL WAYNE/TYGA- Possibly the worst song on this list. Not deserving to be bought by anyone ever.
30	AM I WRONG	NICO & VINZ- much better than Chris Brown. Should be moved up several places and should be given more credit than it has been. I like this song a lot. Maybe not more than Paloma Faith but I still really like it and it should be moved up several places.
31	SHE LOOKS SO PERFECT	5 SECONDS OF SUMMER- Typical cheesy boy band with aweful hair and guitar so far down that they can hardly play them. The lyrics are aweful but the music is catchy. These guys kinda have a one direction feel about them but slightly better. Plus the video was totally unnecessary.
32	READY FOR YOUR LOVE	GORGON CITY FT MNEK- should be moved up a place. Got a nice feel to it and good music behind it. This is how club music should be done!
33	DRUNK IN LOVE	BEYONCE FT JAY-Z- yeah not that great. Her album a few years was much better. It's not that it's bad... its different and lacking in several things such as real sustainability in the music behind. It does build up but it doesn't draw you in in the same way that something like Crying for no reason does.
34	GECKO (OVERDRIVE)	OLIVER HELDENS & BECKY HILL- a difficult one to judge. I can't decide if i actually like it or not. There's no denying that he's got potential as a singer but i'm just not sure about the music behind it... it's a bit hit and miss.
35	DANGEROUS LOVE	FUSE ODG FT SEAN PAUL-  the first fifteen seconds are already better than Gecko Overdrive. I admit that it gets worse after those 20 seconds or so but even so. It should be moved up at least one place as its much better than Oliver Heldens and possibly better than Beyonce but not better than Am i wrong.
36	COUNTING STARS	ONEREPUBLIC - the song that everyone was talking about and singing. Counting stars deserves to be where Sam Smith's money on my mind is as it is a much better song in every way.
37	CRAZY STUPID LOVE	CHERYL COLE FT TINIE TEMPAH- not a massive fan of Cheryl Cole but liked this song. Am a fan of Tinnie Tempah so all is good. Should be moved up past Beyonce.
38	CRYING FOR NO REASON	KATY B- I'm a huge fan of this song which is something that people may not have expected me to say given that i'm a metal fan. Crying for no reason has a stroke of brilliance in the music to it. The lyrics are powerful and Katy's vocals are powerful and meaningful. She could go on to be the next Elvis with her similar style of singing in a way that expresses clearly what she thinks. Deserved more than it got and more than it is getting. Should be replacing Ed Sheeran on this list.
39	WIGGLE	JASON DERULO FT SNOOP DOGG- A big hit with teenagers who only have one thing on their mind. In a way it kinda reminded me of Shaggy's Wasn't Me a decade or so ago. The songs are of a similar nature and i'm sorry but anyone who sings 'cos you know what to do with that big fat but' isn't worthy of a higher place.
40	STAY HIGH	TOVE LO- the lyrics are crap and the song isn't that great. I'd be more tempted to put Friday on the bottom of this list instead. This song has it's moments but not enough of them.

Seconds

Finally!!!
I finished seconds yesterday and I was quite impressed with it. I have to admit that at first I was slightly confused by it and wasn't really sure if he really had a plot to work with but i guess that Bryan Lee O'Malley always surprises.
The story is weird and it does kinda feel like he didn't really have anything to work with except food but even so he manages to make a rather excellent comic from it!

I do love how he manages to get what has become his signature trademark quote of 'bread makes you fat' in all his comics! It's true that bread does make you fat but thanks to the film and the comics, the nerds and comic lovers of this world have all learnt that bread makes us fat.

The story is simple, Katy is a chef and having been successful with one restaurant, she is now opening another which is taking more money than she has. An accident happens at work and she starts eating mushrooms (never a good idea) and changing her history until she has changed it so many times that she is completely confused and no longer really knows anything. Eventually she gets back to her original life and decides to just live with it. She pays more than she wanted to for her restaurant but it opens, she gets the man that she wanted and the restaurant does well, so all's well in the end.

Seconds has just come out and my sister actually went to see Bryan Lee O'Malley and got her book signed by him (which i promptly stole and read).

Loved it!

Killing Joke

I read Arkham Asylum over a year ago and have to admit that I haven't really read any other Batman since. I switched towards the league of extraordinary gentlemen and then stopped reading graphic novels altogether.
So... what did I make of it??
It was Graphic (NO WAY!!!) and occasionally I feel that graphic novels take it too far just because of the name but appart from that I loved it.
The Joker keeps escaping and tries to turn commissioner Gordon insane but he doesn't manage it thanks to batman. There was less in it than in Arkham asylum but i still spent a lot of time stroking the hardback copy in my room. I know that for most of us the Joker is the best character in Batman and he doesn't disappoint in these graphic novels.
This is an Alan Moore novel and therefore worth reading. Whilst it's easy to have an idea of what the plot was in my head, it's not easy to really write it down so i'd just recommend that if you're a batman fan and haven't read it, do.

Pyramids

I did say that the next post would be Pratchett,

I have been reading this book for several months. I guess you're wondering why it has taken me so long and the answer is because i left it in one of my houses and only read it when i was in that house and i spent half my week in a different house so therefore i could only read it for a few nights at best.

For years the talk around the dinner table in my house has been about Pratchett, quoting and discussing various plots and the board games. So for ages the talk was about this name that Pratchett had given a place and this name took my sister ages to work out that it was Jelly Baby spelt Djellibabe (or something to that effect). Anyway, I had not made the connection until i read this book and I have to say that i had no trouble reading it for what it was so i don't know what my sister was going on about but anyway.
Like all early Pratchett books, this is a comical and very entertaining book. I struggle a lot with Pratchett because there is a lot of writing, no pictures and a small font. Occasionally I get so confused with what is going on that I just give up and move on to the next in the series but not with this one. I loved this one from start to finish and hope that the next one which is guards guards will be just as entertaining.
I read guards guards ten years ago and can't remember anything about it so it should be fun!
The only book that I have read which hasn't been on a level with the Death novels is the first one: The colour of Magic. I found it difficult to get my head around but from then onwards I have really enjoyed his novels. What I have enjoyed most is that you can read them in any order because some novels are character related and others aren't particularly so you can just pick a book and start with it and work your way around in any order.
I know that he had a new book out last year or the year before and I heard that it wasn't that good but come on, he's written like thirty of these books so he's probably reaching his limit in terms of character development and decent story line.
Anyway- greatly looking forward to the next book in the Pratchett series.
Next post will be on Bryan Lee O'Malley's latest book Seconds.

The Books of Magic

These are a series of comics by Neil Gaiman and I think that they were made into a graphic novel like the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
These comics are about magicians. A young boy called Timothy has the potential to be a great magician and in each comic he is shown a different part of magic by a different type of magician. He explores the past and the future as well as alternate worlds.
Each comic has it's own sub story and makes for really excellent reading. As soon as you finish one you automatically pick up the next to see what is going to happen in the next comic.
The art work is fantastic and the story is gripping. I loved it, maybe more than neverwhere!

Lost at sea

Bryan Lee O'Malley's first book since the Scott Pilgrim series.

This is still a comic style book and equally as good as Scott Pilgrim. A young girl is in a minibus with a few people that she went to high school with and she is explaining how they are going to Canada and that she came from Canada originally. This girl is also not friends with any of the people on the bus but she's doing ok.
As the story goes on, we learn a little about her history and of course Bryan Lee O'malley has the great idea to incorporate the idea of the girls soul being inside a cat instead of her body- so in the middle of the book they all go on a search randomly in the middle of the night to find her soul by capturing as many cats as they can so that she can stare at them and determine which one has her soul.
On the trip she is told that she is cool and eventually things don't matter anymore.
I thoroughly enjoyed it- almost as much as i enjoyed all the Scott Pilgrim books.
Bryan Lee O'malley is doing a talk in London relatively soon and his new book also comes out soon!!