In September 16, 2016, Airbourne, one of the bands I prefer in the world, and that I consider as the future of the Hard Rock, will release his fourth album in record shops. Only four albums, and the group already enjoys a high reputation and notoriety grandisante increasingly worldwide, it tell you how they are gifted. Their new single, named after the album, "Breakin 'Outta Hell", was released on YouTube on July 7, 2016. I listened it, well, I was not disappointed. Powerful, energetic, fast, 100% Airbourne way I like. I have a good feeling for this new album, which will make a lot of noise I feel.
I have all the albums of Airbourne, and of course I expect the big day to see this new album join the others in my collection.
Lordi - Monsterophonic (Theaterror vs Demonarchy)
Finally, Lordi, the best monster band on the planet, will release a new album, their eighth to be exact. After Scare Force One that I liked a lot, I expect a lot for this new album. It will be released on the same date as the album of Airbourne, which makes me even happier and impatient. As usual, Lordi has changed their outfits to start this new era, and unveiled their new outfits in the last few days. For now, Lordi has not released single or a clip on youtube, but I guess we can expect a new video in their own way, which would be really great, I love the clips of Lordi who each tell a horror story (or even inspired by films such as Blood Red Sandman is inspired by Evil Dead). Like for Airbourne, Lordi is among my favorite bands of all time.
Metal is coming, and the monsters come with it.
Skillet - Unleashed
Tenth. Unleashed, that will be release in August 5, 2016, is the tenth album of Skillet. And I think the group, known worldwide, with millions of views on their videos, does not have finished to surprise us. Their new video "Feel Invincible" was released on June 29 on YouTube and already reached over 5 millions of views, followed by several singles, such as "Back from the Dead", "Stars" and "I Want to Live". I have a preference for "Feel Invincible" and "Back from the Dead" for now. Some electro elements were added, but they do not detract from the beauty of the rock of the band. As always, the songs are powerful, filled with a palpable energy, we can feel the power of the guitars, drums, and the incredible voice of John (singer) and Jen (drummer). An album I also look forward so much in my collection.
This month, this edition of the Hero of the month at a certain importance to me, for I will speak of the character that became my first fictional love, from the moment I saw her to the cinema, in 2009. The sexiest female alien of the universe, the warrior princess from Pandora: Neytiri.
In the story of Avatar, Neytiri is a Na'vi, the indigenous people of the planet Pandora, who maintain a deep shamanic connection with the planet and all life forms found there. Neytiri is the princess of the Omaticaya's clan, daughter of Eytukan and Mo'at. Initially when humans arrived on Pandora, Neytiri was curious about this people unknown to the amazing technology, and she learned the human language in one of the many schools that humans had built, to maintain a good relationship between the two peoples and avoid conflict. This is Grace Augustine, one of the greatest scientists and defenders of Pandora, who taught human language to Neytiri.
Unfortunately, peace did not last and when the RDA, the human company responsible for exploiting the resources of Pandora, became too intrusive, the situation quickly turned into conflict. Humans then launched assaults and committed massacres in schools, killing many Na'vi. Neytiri was able to survive, but unfortunately her sister, Sylwanin, was killed during a raid of the RDA. Since that tragic day, Neytiri expresses hatred towards humans and does not hesitate to kill them as soon as she gets the chance. Until a few years later or she meets Jake Sully, a former military, disabled, she first sees as an enemy, but then a sign of Eywa, the goddess of the Na'vi, sent signs to Neytiri to warn her and tell her to not kill Jake. At the sight of the surprising phenomena on Jake Sully, Neytiri realizes that he is different from other humans and decided to leave him alive, and even to take him to the Kelutral, the giant tree, the refuge of the Omaticaya clan.
On the decision of her mother, Neytiri must teach the culture and language Na'vi to Jake, to prove he can be different and become one of them. During the training, a friendship forms between Jake and Neytiri, that is expressed more and more, and Jake ends up falling in love with the young native princess. This love ends up expressing the night after Jake had been accepted into the clan as a true Na'vi.
But their joy was short lived as the RDA comes back and causes the destruction of several trees of voices, sacred trees that the Na'vi use to connect to their ancestors. In addition, Jake finally admitted him at first, he became a member of the clan by order of the RDA, to persuade the Na'vi to leave, and at this revelation, Neytiri rejects Jake, now seeing him as a traitor. Soon after, the RDA launches a terrible assault on the Kelutral, causing Neytiri father's death.
Devastated, Neytiri and her people withdrew to the tree of souls, a powerful shrine in the mountains, which according to legend, is a connecting link to Eywa herself.
But hope comes to Neytiri and the clan, the day when Jake comes back as a ghost from heaven, on the back of a Great Leonopteryx, the most feared and respected creature by the Na'vi. Neytiri, Mo'at, Tsu'Tey, and the rest of the clan, then found that Eywa was right: Jake is really different because he is the toruk Makto, a legendary Na'vi, riding the powerful toruk, which will unite Na'vi clans to lead them to victory.
Thus Neytiri and Jake finally reunited, embark through Pandora to meet Na'vi clans and gather them as a single and powerful army to destroy the RDA and save Pandora from destruction.
Neytiri became my first fictional love for several reasons. Not only because for me she is the most beautiful female alien in the universe, but also because she is a strong woman. In fact, if you watch the movie, you will see that Neytiri can fight, as she proves several times, for example when she faces a pack of Viperwolves alone and manages to scare them away, or when she regrowth Tsu'Tey to prevent him from killing Jake, and also in the final battle when she kills several soldiers with arrows, including Colonel Quaritch, she kills with two arrows. Moreover, Neytiri is an experienced rider, and is able to shoot arrows and at the same time to fly on her Ikran, which makes her an even more formidable warrior. Because yes, Neytiri is not a fragile princess in distress, on the contrary, she is a warrior who does not hesitate to express herself and face to the others. But despite this, Neytiri can also show herself gentle, quiet. She expresses a great respect for nature and traditions of her people. She seems to devote an admiration for the legend of toruk Makto, because the grandfather of her grandfather was a Toruk Makto.
Towards the end of the movie, Neytiri is riding a Palulukan, the most dangerous land predator of Pandora. This is a very rare phenomenon in the Na'vi culture, and it is said in the Na'vi legends, that the Palulukan riders are the chosen ones of Eywa.
For became my first fictional love, for being a true warrior princess, with heart, honor, respect and strength, Neytiri deserves her place among the best heroes.
Hellcome in my journal, and for this month, I'll not talk only about one fictional villain, but two, 'cause their are a duo and it's impossible to talk about only one. They are among my childhood villains, those who marked my mind and I'm still fan of them today.
They are among the most important and famous of the Ninja Turtles, but not enough shown on screen. The mutants: Bebop the warthhog and Rocksteady the rhino.
In the 2016 movie
In their story, Bebop and Rocksteady were once humans, and more specifically, two cirminels, who were happy to commit crimes and terrify the people of New York. But their lives of little gangsters changed when they entered the service of the Foot Clan, led by Shredder. The evil ninja master, wanting to create an invincible army of creatures, obtained a radioactive liquid, very similar to the mutagen that transformed the Ninja Turtles. Shredder decided to test the liquid on Bebop and Rocksteady. The two men, initially hesitant, do not have the choice and by force, are injected fluid in the body. For each, the result is different: Bebop becomes humanoid warthog, but keeps his clothes, his purple crest punk and his strange glasses. Rocksteady becomes rhinoceros very aggressive, and keeps a somewhat biker style. Since their transformation, they became the Shredder rights arms, his super-soldiers. They perform missions and orders that Shredder gives them, and with their new appearance, the two criminals take even more pleasure in causing destruction around them.
In the 1987 TV series
If Bebop and Rocksteady are capable of causing major damage thanks to their superhuman strength, the two mutants are not very smart and usually lead to a disaster that frustrate or make fail the plans of Shredder. They do not always understand what their leader says, what irritates Shredder and forces him to repeat. But it's this stupidity that in a sense, also makes the charm of Bebop and Rocksteady, which makes them more endearing to fans.
The complicity of Bebop and Rocksteady seems very strong. They consider themselves even as brothers, and one wonders if maybe, they are friends since childhood.
Their popularity with fans became so great that today, just as Shredder and Krang, Bebop and Rocksteady are considered the greatest enemies of the Ninja Turtles. Personally, I'm a big fan of Ninja Turtles, Bebop and Rocksteady were among the first villains of my childhood, and even today, I see them as such. When I saw their appearance in the trailer for the movie, I was like an excited child. Finally, they appear in a movie Ninja Turtles. Yes, because despite their popularity, Bebop and Rockteady are often underestimated and not sufficiently exploited. For the 2016 movie, the result is very satisfactory, their designs and their characters were very well respected and the actors are really good in the roles.
Bebop and Rocksteady deserve their place in the most iconic fictional villains.
For this new edition of DiscoveRock, I present another masked group, but this time from the United States: Gwar.
Gwar is one of the craziest bands I've ever seen in my life. Crazy but also imaginative and cool in terms of music. The Thrash Metal band was formed in 1985 in Richmond, Virginia. The group leader is called Dave Brockie, better known by the stage name Oderus Urungus.
One of the strengths of Gwar is the costumes and the names of each member. Each member has its identity, and his story shaped in the group. Video clips of Gwar are blends of comedy and horror with lots of blood, items related to the gore, sex and violence, and sometimes about politics. But Gwar is talking things over with humor, that only open-minded fans can understand and accept.
With their style and subjects in their songs, Gwar has already had many problems, especially with the religious. The group is even banned in some countries, including France, which saddens me because I'm a fan of Gwar, and I'd like see them in concert one day, even if it will not be the same without Oderus.
Indeed, unfortunately, in 2014, Dave Brockie aka Oderus Urungus, passed away. He was 50 years old. According to the survey, he died of an overdose. The group still exists, but since the death of Oderus, they did not released new albums, the last is "Battle Maximus", released in 2013.
If you like horror, blood, monsters and metal, you'll love Gwar.
Members:
- Oderus Urungus (vocals)
- Beefcake the Mighty (bass)
- Balsac, the jaws of Death (guitars)
- Pustulus Maximus (guitars)
- Jizmak da Gusha (drums)
