DiscoveRock Edition N°29 - Wind Rose

The DiscoveRock articles were absent for a little while, but are coming back today for the 29th edition. For this edition, back in the Power Fantasy metal, with a group that I discovered today but I already enjoy the music and theme: Wind Rose.

Italian group formed in 2009, Wind Rose reflects for me the spirit of the epic mix of Medieval and Metal music. Dressed in their armors and their fur capes, axes in hand, like dwarves, gathered around a fire in the middle of the night in the forest, this group plunges us into the fantastic world of armor, swords and orcs . And all this of course accompanied by their melodic and epic Folk / Power metal music and their chants that gave me chills at first listen. One of their songs even mentions Erebor, the famous dwarf city of Tolkien's universe. But my favorite song of them remains for now "The Returning Race" that I listen without getting tired.
For now, the band has a demo released in 2010, and three official albums: Shadows over Lothadruin, released in 2012, Wardens of the West Wind released in 2015, and Stonehymn released in 2017.
If you like the epicness of medieval and the power of metal, this group is for you.

Members:
- Francesco Cavalieri (vocals)
- Claudio Falconcini (guitars)
- Federico Meranda (keyboards)
- Cristiano Bertocchi (bass)
- Daniele Visconti (former drummer) (left the band recently)

Mathias, the Killmaster

Fire and Blood \m/ 

Comic Con Paris - A week-end in the geek's universe

This weekend, October 28 and 29, 2017, I went, with my sister, to Paris, for a festival of geeks already very popular all over the world, but whose French edition is only present since three years: the Comic Con. For my sister and me, it was a great opportunity this year, not to mention that there were guests who caught our attention.
Here is a summary of my first Comic Con experience, which will remain etched in my memory until the end.

The morning of the first day, I was excited, and when I arrived, I was even more excited. The number of people waiting in front to enter was impressive. A lot of cosplays also necessarily, whether in the Star Wars universe, Game of Thrones, Marvel and DC comics, etc .... Some costumes were really beautiful, for example, a guy was wearing an Iron Man armor almost similar to the real. The number of stands was also varied and the number of items, figurines, t-shirts, and other goodies made me want to buy them. There were also animation stands, for example, an apprenticeship in handling the lightsaber. I had already tried this experience at Paris Manga last year at a similar booth. There were also virtual reality stands, others for quizzes. I remember trying my luck for a quiz, and even if I found some answers, I was not chosen. Too bad, but that's the game. 

For the guests present, there was the exceptional presence of three actors from the Stranger Things series, for the promo of season 2. There was also Don Rosa, a very popular cartoonist in the Disney world, especially for his work on the characters of Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck. My sister had come for actor Finn Jones, aka Loras Tyrell in Game of Thrones, but I had come for the English actress Poppy Drayton, who plays the Elf princess Amberle Elessedil in the Shannara Chronicles series. I'm a fan of this series since no long, but the character of Amberle is one of my favorites, and to meet the actress was a dream for me. The first day, I had a autographs section with her. In the queue, I was the third. When Poppy Drayton arrived at the booth, and when I finally saw her for real for the first time, my heart jumped, but I stayed calm. I made her sign my Shannara Chronicles Season 1 DVD, and she wrote "To Mathias, keep believing in magic." A really adorable autograph. Poppy is really cute, she is humble, very smiling, I love her accent when she speaks French. I talked a little with her and even if it was not long, it was a very good time. She even accepted, while normally I was supposed to have only an autograph, to make a selfie with me. We said goodbye and I told her that the next day I had a photo planned with her. 

 On the second and last day, a few hours before the photo shoot, I went to a conference about the Shannara Chronicles, with Poppy Drayton to answer the questions and a translator. I managed to put myself in the front row, and Poppy even noticed and recognized me, and gave me a big smile. The conference was really interesting and when everyone applauded, Poppy was really moved, it was cute. Poppy recounted her journey, the fact that she had always dreamed of becoming an actress, the chance she has of being in a united family and supporting her from the beginning, how she started in the domain and how she got the role of Amberle in the Shannara series. It was really interesting. I would have liked to ask her a question, but I was not selected from those who raised their hand. I must be cursed for that, I'm never chosen lol.

Me with Poppy Drayton

But the strongest moment is and will remain for me the moment I entered the studio to make my official photo with Poppy Drayton. She recognized me again, we asked each other if we were fine, and after the photo, I said goodbye to her like a gentleman with a hat gesture, and that made her smile. Poppy is one of my favorite actresses, she is smiling, kind, humble, and she deserves a lot of respect. I could never thank her enough for this dream come true that she made me live.

Comic Con is not just a festival, it's an experience to live at least once in a lifetime. You really feel like in another world, a paradise for geeks. No matter where you look, you'll see something related to a movie, a series, a comic, a video game, etc.

The dates of the next year's edition have already been announced, but I'm waiting to see the guests that will be announced, but in any case, I will return with great pleasure.

Mathias, the Killmaster

Fire and Blood \m/ 

Hero(es) of the Month - Edition N°22

For this new edition of the hero of the month, I will do a special edition 'cause this time, two heroes are honored at the same time, and for good reason, they are twins, and form a beautiful duet, their story is very touching: The Maximoff twins, Pietro and Wanda, known as Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch.

Wanda and Pietro are from Sokovie, a country in Eastern Europe. When they were children, a shell destroyed the building in which they lived with their parents. Their parents were killed, but the twins survived, stranded for a day in the rubble, and one meter away from them, another shell that had not exploded. On this missile, they saw the name of the one they were going to hate after: Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. 

Driven by the desire for revenge against Tony Stark, Wanda and Pietro volunteered for the experiences of a man, Baron Strucker, a member of the terrorist organization Hydra, for the purpose of an experiment to create capable superhuman beings to compete with the Avengers. Wanda and Pietro were the only ones who survived Strucker's horrific experiences and gained powers. Pietro had the power to run at lightning speed, and Wanda had acquired the ability to manipulate minds and reality.

One day, the avengers managed to stop Strucker and shut down his weapons lab, but the twins fled, not without giving Hawkeye and Iron Man some trouble. Wanda and Pietro then teamed up with a robot, Ultron, Tony Stark's creation and wishing to annihilate the avengers, but what the twins did not know was that Ultron also had the plan to provoke a global genocide, in order to allow to the earth to start a new era. Wanda will eventually discover it by probing the spirit of the new body that Ultron plans to inhabit, the body that will later become Vision. Wanda discovers with horror the true plan of Ultron and fled with Pietro. A little later, the twins arrive to help Captain America as he fights against Ultron on a train. Ultron causes the derailment of the train, but the twins save the situation, Wanda using his power to stop the train and Pietro by saving people about to be hit by the machine. The twins will help the avengers against all odds to stop Ultron. 

During the battle against Ultron's army, Wanda and Pietro stand out and use their powers, Pietro destroying dozens of robots in seconds with his speed, and Wanda, at first shocked, takes on herself and unleashes its powers on machines to reduce them to pieces. Towards the end of the battle, Ultron takes the ship of the Avengers and uses the weapons to shoot Hawkeye. Pietro, seeing this, sacrifices himself by walling with his own body and is riddled with projectiles under Hawkeye's eyes. Sensing the death of his twin brother with her powers, Wanda sinks into sadness and anger. Among the ruins, she finds Ultron, dying in a train carcass. Guessing that he is responsible for Pietro's death, she uses her power to tear the heart out of Ultron and decides to let herself die here. But while the part of the city is about to explode to pieces, Wanda is saved by Vision, who comes to pick her up, takes her in his arms and flies with her in the sky. Wanda, now alone, decides finally to join the avengers and becomes a member of their group.

Mathias, the Killmaster

Fire and Blood \m/ 

Warning for the Internet Trolls!

Internet trolls, 
This is a message from the Killmaster :To all of you, who delight yourselves from pain of the others and making judgements or shitty jokes about suicide, let me tell you this: you're not humans anymore, just heartless bastards, and deserving to burn in the flames of my hell!

Trolls, you can comment, but I'll not waste my time to answer you. But I tell you this: I'm not afraid of you, I'm the Killmaster, and this is my world.

DiscoveRock Edition N°28 - Special Legend Tribute - Linkin Park (in memory of Chester Bennington)

I publish this special edition of DiscoveRock to talk about another legendary band, Linkin Park, but also to pay my tribute to the memory of a rock icon, Linkin Park's lead singer, Chester Bennington, who was found dead at his home on July 20, 2017. His death leaves a huge void in the group but also in the entire world of music.... May you rest in peace, Chester. All my condolances to his friends and family. This article is for you, Chester.

Existing since 1996 (under the first name of Xero, then Hybrid Theory, to finally become Linkin Park), Linkin Park is an American band, making Nu Metal, or Electro Rock, or Alternative Rock. Linkin Park has become a real icon in the years of their career, having sold more than 70 million albums worldwide and won two Grammy Awards. Their songs, sometimes very powerful, sometimes calmer, have made the tour of the world, songs such as Numb, New Divide, Castle of Glass, In the End, What I've Done or Burn it Down, for exemples, have become absolute hits, making millions of views on the Internet and having become monuments of the rock music. Linkin Park was even the first rock band to cross the billion views on youtube. The group currently has released seven albums, the last of which, One More Light, was released in 2017. But with the death of the band's singer, Chester Bennington, who has become a true rock icon through the years, Linkin Park's future seems really uncertain ...... Chester will never be forgotten, his unique voice will continue to resonate in the hearts and ears of the fans, forever.

Members:
- Chester Bennington (vocals) (May you rest in peace, legend) \m/
- Mike Shinoda (vocals, keyboards, samples)
- Brad Delson (guitars)
- Dave "Phoenix" Farrell (bass)
- Joe Hahn (Djing, samples)
- Rob Bourdon (drums)

RIP Chester Bennington \m/

You'll never be forgotten.

Hero of the Month - Edition N°21

For the hero of this month, I decided to go back in one of my childhood movies, to put in the light my favorite Disney female character of all time: She's a true lovely soul's warrior and a unique "disney princess". the legendary: Mulan.

Mulan lives in a small, peaceful village in China, at a time when women do not have many rights. It's simple: men become soldiers and women take care of the children. But Mulan is different, she seems to be almost like a outcast, doing things only in her own way, which can sometimes thwart her father, a relatively old man, having keeping the aftereffects of the war on one of her legs, wise and carried on honor and traditions like any self-respecting father. But the situation gets dark when the news about the Huns, led by Shan Yu, invading China arrives at the village. By order of the Emperor, a man from each family of the kingdom is to serve in the army, and Mulan's father, although aged, is endorsed this responsibility. Mulan, horrified, knows well that her father, with his age and his old war wound, has no chance to come back alive. Mulan, desperate, decides to take the place of her father against his will, taking the armor, the sword and the horse to go fight the Huns in his place, pretending to be a man. During the adventure, she will meet Mushu, a small dragon sent by her family's ancestors to recover her, but Mushu decides to help Mulan in her mission. Mulan will also meet the leader of her troop: Captain Shang. To go unnoticed, Mulan takes a fictitious name: Ping. At first underestimated by the others, she will be very quickly respected and will motivate the other soldiers to excel in their training to fight the Huns.

But one day, in the mountains, after the reduced troop had discovered a destroyed village, as well as the bulk of the forces of the imperial army destroyed, Mulan and her troop are attacked by the Huns, more strong and numerous than they are. Mulan then had the crazy but ingenious idea, with one of the cannons, to trigger a big avalanche. The plan is marching, the Huns army is devastated by the avalanche, but Mulan is wounded by Shan Yu becoming furious. Mulan loses a lot of blood and eventually faints before Shang. It is during care that the troop discovers that she is a woman. The imperial councilor insists that she has to be executed on the spot, but Shang decides to spare her and abandons her to her fate. Disgraced, Mulan is about to return to her family, but discovers with horror that Shan Yu, along with his most faithful and dangerous warriors, have survived the avalanche and plans to attack the imperial city. During the festivities in the city, Mulan tries to warn Shang, but he remains deaf to his warning. It's too late, Shan Yu reveals his presence at the eyes of all, and the Huns kidnap the emperor in the palace to keep him as hostage. To save the situation, Mulan develops a plan with the help of her comrades.

After the Huns warriors were mastered, Mulan and Shang arrive in time on the balcony of the palace to rescue the emperor and engage the fight against Shan Yu. The emperor manages to be saved, but Shan Yu does not allow himself and knocks out Shang before attacking Mulan, recognizing her as the soldier who destroyed his army. Shan Yu releases his rage, chases Mulan relentlessly to kill her, but the young woman manages to take his sword, and with the help of Mushu, sends the hun chief in the air to the fireworks reserve to make him explode.

After this victory, the emperor appeared at the first furious against Mulan, but finally, bowed before her, pointing to her as the savior of China. It is thus, the honor restored in her family, that Mulan returns home, with as trophy the sword of Shan Yu, which she offers to her father in the way of forgiveness, but her father does not care and hugs her in his arms, making passing before all, the love for his only daughter.

See you next time \m/

Mathias, the Killmaster

Fire and Blood \m/ 

DiscoveRock Edition N°27 - Violence of the Sun

Hell'O to all the fans of rock and metal of the world, and today, for this chronicle of June, we will go on the side of the desert, the heat, to discover a group that I discovered myself today but of which the style already pleases me: Violence of the Sun.

Violence of the Sun is a Heavy / Stoner Rock band from Giulianova, Italy, formed at the end of 2014. I've been a fan of Stoner since I've been a fan of metal, so, since ever. Guitar and bass riffs are very heavy, saturated, sometimes slow, sometimes faster, with a little touch of blues, all this accompanied by powerful drum hits, and the singer's voice, sometimes it also calm, and sometimes saturated and more grave. They still plunge us into the deep atmosphere of a burning and dark desert as far as the eye can see, which gives us the impression of being lost in a storm of sand, or there, in a metal storm. The band has released two albums, one in 2015, Three Times, and another in 2016, Perceptionism. If you're a fan of heavy and loud rock, in a desert mood, then this band is for you.


Members:
- Andrea Elkhaloufi (vocals, guitar)
- Francesco Pacifici (bass guitar)
- Mattia Maiorani (drums, vocals)
- Gigi Di Giacomo (lead guitar)

See you next time, Rockers \m/

Mathias, the Killmaster

Fire and Blood \m/