Chiller

lemme teach you guys about Chiller.
chiller is this crazy horror network on the dish network.
OFFICIALLY. MY FAVORITE. CHANNEL. EVER.
haha its so sick. ive been basically watching it all day and haven't seen ONE bad thing on it yet.
a horror network! its like Fear Friday on AMC but ALWAYS!

in other news, Fuse is also a fantastic station.
speaking of Fuse, Empire Records: i've seen a lot of bad reviews, but this movie is great. get outta here critics...

oh and these Sirius music stations...sick as crap.
favorites much?

what else is going on in life...
malone signed for 7 and 8 million for the next two years of his contract in TB. wtf?
dude. i love you...you are 'burgh bred. but come on. you aren't worth that. yet.

lets see...
queso crunchwrap < regular crunchwrap

thats all life has to offer.
whatev.

The first of many

I think i was right.
Last night helped my decision.
Unbelievable.
I couldn't tear myself from the window.
More lightning than I could shake a stick at.
Thunder that shook the foundations of my house.

then it went away...
THEN IT CAME BACK.

oh it was great.
lets do it again some time.

Raw Rock Kills.

so i saw showbread tonight.
the end.




JUST KIDDING.
no but seriously, thats about it.

they rocked my face off. literally i had to pick my face off the floor after it was over. it wasnt what i expected.
...it wasn't what showbread expected.
they promised an audio/visual extravaganza. and they planned on that. but that show takes an hour to set up and 45 minutes to run through.
::enter club octane crew and staff.
"excuse me, mr. showbread. you cant enter early."
"but we're the band. we need to set up."
"no." ..... "oh, and by the way. you can only have a 30 minute set."
"but it takes 45 minutes...and once it starts, it doesnt stop. so we cant cut and paste some of the show."
"oh well. this is charleroi. we're a bustling community. we can't be out past 10:30pm."
"well what the crap."
"you can keep playing if you want. we'll just unplug you."
"fine."

so they couldn't do that part of the show and had to make up a 4 or 5 song set off the top of their heads. luckily showbread has a sense of humor and still made a good show out of it. they rock. raw.

oh. met a new band too. girlfight. go listen to them. they rock out loud. they are from pittsburgh. YEAH.

may raw rock kill you forever and ever. amen.

[zombie]



Now Listening: Living Dead Girl - Rob Zombie.

UGH. Do You Ever Feel Overwhelmed?

I do.

Top 20 Instrumentals

So here it is. The top rated instrumentals as decided by me. This is by no means an exhaustive list of even all the instrumentals I know.
Disclaimer: I ran through my iTunes pretty freakin quick to find these instrumentals so it is not even an exhaustive list of the instrumentals in albums I own.

First, lets start with some honorable mentions:

• Elegy (Parts II & III) - Becoming the Archetype

This would be in the Top 5 if it werent for that pesky Part I that contains all those crazy words. The fact is, the song is recorded as one, so I just couldn't include it in the countdown.

• Intro to I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab for Cutie

Same problem as Elegy. However entrancing the intro to this song may be, it just is not an instrumental through and through.

• Alive is Dead - Zao

This song is absolutely driven by mesmerizing drums. Jesse Smith could be one of the most premier hardcore drummers of his time because of his composition skills, not the speed at which he plays. This doesn't make the list because it just isn't as good as some of Zao's other instrumentals.

• Witchhunter - Zao

Interladen vocals do this in. Although quiet, they are very much the core of the song, so it couldn't be considered an instrumental. Definitely an intermission, though.

There are others. But I don't want to take up more space with the ones that DIDN'T make the list. that doesn't make sense.

Without further ado:

20. And the Sky Went Red - Demon Hunter

This instrumental is just the sound of a stampede of horses for 29 seconds. How could that make the list? It's lyrics. There are no words in the song, but there are lyrics in the booklet. "And blindly we held your hand and threw you down. We cursed your name, turned our backs, and begged you to embrace us." This song, in one, unspoken line, has perfectly described every human being in the history of existence.

19. Sampsa Meets Kafka - Showbread

There are words to this song. But they are unintelligible and fit in as music. "Gregor starved to death. No one dies of loneliness." One line. Taking the moral of Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis into their own hands, Showbread experiments themselves into a deep, deep understanding of the human psyche.

18. No Passenger: No Parasite - Norma Jean

Once again, it has words. This is why they are so low ;D "Wake up. No passenger, no parasite." One line, one very deep meaning. Listen to the song. Close your eyes. Be entranced. And see if you can figure it out.

17. The Beginning(Anorexia) - Showbread

A piano solo that sweeps through a verse of "Wondrous Cross." Basically PERFECTLY wraps up the first album in Showbread's double album opus, Anorexia Nervosa. Try and fight the tears as the whole story wraps up and comes together.

16. Nocturne - Becoming the Archetype

Proving the band can do more than compose mega harsh guitar parts and pounding double bass. Done in electric guitar and piano with a hint of percussion, it sweeps you off your feet in the middle of the album.

15. The End (Omega) - Showbread [Nervosa]

The story starts to wrap up completely. You are beginning to see Nervosa's journey come to an end. This song simply envelops you in everything that has just happened and is yet to come. Wow.

14. Eve of the End - August Burns Red

One of the few songs on the list that can maintain the gut wrenching furiosity shown throughout the album while giving you a much needed break from, well, the gut wrenching furiosity shown throughout the album. Intense.

13. Number Four - Nodes of Ranvier

Before they sucked, Nodes was a good band. Number Four lulls you into an intro before stepping up the intensity level but without busting your head open. It keeps the intensity of the album, but in a pleasant, dreamlike way.

12. Night's Sorrow - Becoming the Archetype

Once again, err, rather, before Nocturne, BTA brought a classical acoustic sound in the middle of the album. Beautifully composed, Night's Sorrow shows metal's true roots in classical music.

11. Sotto Voce - The Human Abstract

If any song could bring out the classical roots we just talked about better than Night's Sorrow, it's Sotto Voce. Sorry BTA, but THA is light years more advanced than you in terms of technical composition.

10. It's Going to Be Okay - Nodes of Ranvier

Another dreamlike metal song, complete with absolutely beautiful and simple guitar melodies. They soon become more distorted, drums kick in, and it quickly turns into a song to close your eyes and bob your head to. Definitely a good sound check song to get your crowd going.

9. The Flies (Anorexia) - Showbread

Thrown right into the middle of the album during a critical point in the story, Showbread pulls out all the stops to create a tune that makes it impossible to not get drawn in by what goes on in the story. Even standalone, this song is a turning point in the album and does its job perfectly.

8. Man in Cage Jack Wilson - Zao

This song closes out Zao's epic Liberate te ex Inferis: Save Yourself From Hell album. It ties everything you've just heard together. And it does it well. From start to finish, it just pulls you in farther and farther into an inside look at a Dante-esque madness and chaos. The song is a continual crescendo. Jesse Smith blows my mind.

7. The Flies (Nervosa) - Showbread

In my opinion, The Flies (N) is INFINITELY better than The Flies (A). Why? The underlying theme and the backstory proves crucial. The turning point about a third-way into the song also helps this song. Unbelievable. It kills me.

6. I Lay Sleepless in My Grave - Zao

This song introduces the closer to a concept album about what would happen if God said, "screw it. these people don't care. let them find their own way." Not a good scenario. But this song alone brings us back to earth after the wild ride and seamlessly brings us from the terror of separation into a glorious reunion.

5. Desiderata - The Human Abstract

Call it a 4 minute intro to arguably the best song on the album. THA absolutely handcuffs you into a trance and shows us all why they could fare as classical composers just as well as metal musicians. Look them up. Seriously.

4. Intro - Zao

Luckily they only have one song called "Intro." But this one refers to an album already mentioned, Liberate. (for short.) Intro is the descent. It's the first impression. It is welcoming us to Zao's interpretation of chaos, based primarily on Dante. Zao literally owns the metal/hardcore throne as far as instrumentals go. And epic albums.

3. Night Diving - Thrice

This is a concept song. It paints an undeniable audial picture. At least for me. And then I read an article about it and it turns out, my mental painting wasn't far off. Just keep the title in mind, close your eyes, and let the song take you on its journey.

2. The Great Gig in the Sky - Pink Floyd

Oh. My. The vocals on this song are the best you will ever hear. EVER. This song turns the page in Dark Side of the Moon and is absolutely the best vocal solo anyone will ever turn out.

1. Violet - Zao

Remember what I said about owning the instrumental throne in metal? This song is why. It closes out probably my favorite album of all time, Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest. The album is so deep you need a nuclear submarine to listen to it. It's more emotional than anything I've ever experienced. Dan Weyandt let everything go to write these songs. Blood and Fire is the pinnacle of Zao's tenured career and Violet brings all the emotions, all the feelings to a beautiful close. This song has probably influenced my life more than any other song and there isn't a word spoken in it. It means the world to me.

To Do List, Volume 1

TO DO: (this coming week)
1. Call Chrisy. stop forgetting. [CHECK]
2. Call potential painters. 4 of them. set up interviews.
3. Dig out stump at corner of house [CHECK]
4. Listen to Showbread's Anorexia [CHECK]
5. Listen to Showbread's Nervosa
6. Put tiller together [CHECK]
7. Burn that massive pile of wood and cardboard
8. Watch Fear Itself
9. Talk to Brent about starting production.
10. Market
11. See Showbread LIVE.
12. See Showbread live.
13. see SHOWBREAD live.
14. SEE SHOWBREAD LIVE.
15. SEEEEE SHOWBREAAAD LIVE.

[i am a fire. i eat the world and defecate the shell.] *sick breakdown*
Now Listening:
The Pig
Showbread
Anorexia
Tooth & Nail Records

Greg Tucker once told me... [a devotion]

HM Magazine.
Ever heard of it?
HM stands for Hard Music.
It is the pinnacle of heavy music magazines, a must read for anybody who likes to listen to the more aggressive areas of music.
and it's run by Christian editors. that makes for an interesting read.
i like to attribute it to the fact that the best bands in metal and hardcore, literally all involve Christian members. it seems like an oxymoron, but its true.

I digress: HM Magazine includes a feature every issue called "Devotions with Greg Tucker."
Most people wouldn't read HM for the devotions or skip over articles like this, but come on. I spend money on this magazine, i'm gonna read it all ;D

Anyway. An interesting point was brought up this issue.
Why did Jesus come to the Earth? Good question. Answer: To die for our sins. Right?

Greg begs to differ.

John 6:38 says "I came to do the will of the Father."

That is why He came. The fact that God's will was to die for our sins is just details.

This is an important distinguishment to make. We may think that our reason on Earth is to serve in student ministry or write music or be a high school teacher. But the fact is, that these are JUST details. It's important to realize that our reason on Earth...is to DO HIS WILL. Sometimes its hard to do this, because we feel such a need to do what we want. People often say "I was born to do this..." or "I was born to do that..."
I think it's critical that we understand that our gifts are meant to serve God and whatever we wants us to do...we should follow.

However, even understanding it is one thing...following it is a bit harder sometimes...

about today...

1:41am.
i am bored.
i lied anyway.
1:42am.

lets see...no one is online. no one in the world is awake. no one.
zaq called me and i lost the call. wait that was like 3 hours ago. lets find out how long ago it was...
it was 11:02pm. am i good or what? almost 3 hours.
what have i done in the past 3 hours?

i have played FIFA07.
i have listened to Death Cab For Cutie's "Narrow Stairs."
i have listened to Radiohead's "In Rainbows."
Twice.
i have listened to Thrice's "Alchemy Index: Vol. 1 - Fire."
thats where i am now. soon it's gonna be Vol. 2 - Water.

i'll tell you what i WANT to be doing:
Finish reading Franz Kafka's "The Trial."
Paint.
Draw.
Paint. and im not talking houses.

the fact of the matter is...reading negates me from listening to music...i try not to not listen to music. ever.
and painting requires money to purchase materials, which i do not have either of.
and drawing requires effort to go get things. i guess i could draw on this post-it in front of me. thatd be cool.

oh! memo to self. why am i making memos to myself when theres a stack of post-its in front of me, slightly to the left? scratch the memo, i am gonna make a real life one.
my pencil is out of lead. does anyone have a pencil i could borrow?
THE GREASE PENCIL I FOUND AT CHURCH. hold on...
...brilliant.

Draft autosaved at 1:50am.

that means i have been writing meaninglessly and aimlessly for 9 minutes.
sometimes, however, the best things come when you least expect it. so maybe something good will come from this. but i dont feel in that mood. perhaps another excuse that i am not trying to be creative. i just dont feel creative right now.

that happens often in this house though. not feeling creative that is. i dont know why school is a more creative environment. maybe its the solitude. serenity. to an extent. i dont know.

Now Listening: Thrice - Alchemy Index: Vol. 2 - Water.
Digital Sea.
I absolutely LOVE. this song. and the video for this song. and the album this song is in. the band that sings this song.
In my opinion, this album is centuries ahead of Fire. i love Fire, don't get me wrong, but Water just absolutely blows it away, artistically.
This album paints a picture for me. it's beyond words and notes. other albums have this effect, sure...but this one is up there as one of the best.
maybe its the similar fascination i have with water as a metaphor.
whatever it is, it works.
Open Water. if there is any song i enjoy more than Digital Sea, it is Open Water.

i've wasted enough of your time.

V

ps. if you ever see me type just a plain "V", it most likely means peace. ;)
(peace symbol, get it? no? whatever...)

druh.

i opened a can of genuine faygo vanilla creme soda about half an hour ago.
the art on the can reminds me of the malt shops which i've never been to but seen often on old television shows...
back to the bubbles.

OH YES! the BUBBLES! its been a half an hour.
still there are bubbles fizzing on the inside.
i like that thought. they don't stop. for anyone.

if i knew morse code, i would tell you what they are saying.

...i dont know morse code

A Foreword.

patterns are meant to be broken.

the interesting thing
about art
is that art is a pouring out of one's soul.
of one's being.
of the essence of one.
everything he is.
or will be.
or has been.

i could never call myself an artist.

forever young.
____

there was a storm.
it came quickly
and left in the same fashion.
the thing that struck me, i suppose...
was the force in which it came.
standing outside was difficult.
maybe it was the tiny droplets of rain saturating the sky
or the wind. the wind was strong.
i haven't figured wind out yet.
its possible...that wind has a sound.
the sound of air whistling past your ears.
or is it the sound of the wind's effect on grass. and trees.
and windows.
maybe the wind's voice is a combination.
there was a lot of thunder.
less lightning.

first of many i hope.

There is nothing to fear...

oh, horror fans.
NBC has finally done something right. Possibly as an apology for sucking miserably in its NHL broadcasts, they brought us Fear Itself. The films are short and to the point, but hey...its horror.
It's been on for two weeks but its pretty good so far.
Last week it was quite predictable and a little cheesy at times, but hey. It's NBC. This week, however, its a pretty good flick.

Moral of the story.
If you like horror: NBC. Thursday. 10pm.
Grab a couch, eat some popcorn, hide your face in your girlfriend's arm, I don't care.

Watch horror and like it.

kafka and friends

its late.
but the good news is i'm almost done reading the trial.
by franz kafka.
he wrote some things.

ive been flyin between kafka and edgar allan poe recently...
although i always seem to be doing that...

makes me wonder why i'm not pursuing psychology as a career.

but the point is this:
Josef K seems more confident. I'm glad for him.

A Sad Day

Dominik Hasek. One of the greatest goaltenders of all time. Has announced his retirement. After getting pulled from round one of the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs and being replaced by Chris Osgood, a goalie not NEARLY of Hasek's calibur, Hasek has decided to call it quits. For the second time. But this time he means it. :/
The Dominator is easily my favorite goaltender of all time. His unorthodox style is effective, thrilling to watch, and one in which I learned how to play goalie from.
He has a career Save Percentage of .920 and a GAA of 2.20. These numbers are both better than those of goaltending legends, Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur. Although Hasek has won less games than either of these, his winning percentage hovers right around both of them, at around 53%.
Good luck in retirement, Dom. This time don't get charges pressed against you for beating a guy up in a Czech Men's League.

they look like cats...but they're smaller.

im back already. today is boring. its slow. so here i am.

see, i have this kitten. he really...really likes to watch the computer. he likes watching the text roll across the screen and he likes to catch the cursor. he watches tv sometimes too. i tell him not to sit so close...that he's gonna need glasses, but you know kids...

someday he'll understand.

Ye Who Dare Tread These Waters

welcome to my life. here's the thing. i'm really only starting this to keep tabs on all my faves. blogs, that is. but. knowing me, chances are ill end up posting new things in my boredom as i lie awake at 2 and 3am. my favorite part is that this is all seeecret. just kidding.
the point is, i doubt anyone will read this.
i keep my sanity by writing.
maybe i'll post a blog on myspace referring everyone here.
in the meantime, i refer you to there. i wont repost the blogs there here, thats two many arrows pointing different directions in my mind.

Other.

dont try and make sense of me. ;D