Delusion-Elle

Kamelot announced this morning that their new vocalist is none other than Tommy Karevik from Swedish progressive metal band Seventh Wonder. And I couldn't be happier! (Okay, well, maybe if Khan had said "j/k i'm back for good now that was all just jokes k?" and rejoined Kamelot as their vocalist, that would top this, but...)

Oh baby, you can stay my alley cat for ever and always~

Of course, with the addition of Tommy to the band, our secret hopes that Khan would return have been thoroughly dashed to the ground, and this does lead to some naysayers and bad feelings. But, dear anti-Karevik-ians, do not hate on Tommy so soon! Granted, the response has been positive for the most part, but there will be those who are apathetically neutral or against this choice of vocalist. "He doesn't sound like Khan," some whine. "His voice isn't as deep." Alright, the thing is that of course no one is going to sound like Khan. He was one helluva vocalist, and his unique vocals were one of the biggest draws about Kamelot's music. But you don't want someone who sounds like Khan. If Kamelot had recruited a singer who had the same tone and timbre to his voice as Khan, then it would be easier to compare the two and to state that the new one was doing a poor job of copying. When it is obvious that a band is trying to capture that same sound from vocalist to vocalist, whoever the current vocalist is will never measure up. By choosing Tommy Karevik, Kamelot avoids this and, sure, there are some folks who will still try to compare the two very different singers, but the comparisons ring hollow; they're just too different (and insanely good in their own ways) to compare.

So if you're one of the Kamelot fans going, "wait, who is this Tommy Karevik guy exactly?" let me give you the lowdown...

Tommy Karevik is, as I stated earlier, the singer of Swedish progressive metal band Seventh Wonder. The band has released 4 studio albums, two of which I have listened to, and let me tell you, this is technical virtuosity in prog metal form. Kamelot did not pick Tommy Karevik out of the blue; Tommy had performed as a guest vocalist with the band on tour mostly doing back-up vocals, but also stepping up and singing lead vocals on "EdenEcho" and "Center of the Universe":
As you can see, Tommy is more than capable of singing Kamelot's songs. No, he doesn't sing them exactly the same way that Khan did, but you know what? Those were songs that Khan helped write. They were made for him. There is no way that any other singer singing them can compare, but Tommy does a damn good job of it, and of all the choices the band could've made for a new singer, I don't think that there is a better one out there. Remember, they didn't want someone who would be a Khan clone. They wanted someone who would merely fill his shoes, talent-wise, and get along with the rest of the band -- fitting in is a big part of any job. And those are some big shoes. If these above videos don't convince you, then listen to some of his studio work off Seventh Wonder's latest release, The Great Escape (which is a great album, by the way, that you should check out if you even remotely give a damn about Kamelot and/or enjoy progressive metal):

Personally, I'm extremely excited. I enjoy Seventh Wonder's music and I adore Kamelot with all of my heart. Seeing this crossover is great. In my opinion, there aren't any already-established singers better suited for the job. Congratulations to Tommy, and I look forward to catching the band live -- with Tommy -- in Seattle this fall!

Look! He's already got the facial hair thing DOWN. Perfect.

New music everywhere!

May is turning out to be a month of new music! Delain's previous albums were very good, and they always seem to find the perfect blend of light and heavy. Let's see if they continue to walk the line in their latest effort!

Artist: Delain
Album: We Are The Others
Year: 2012
Genre: pop-rock/metal
Download: here.
Disclaimer: I do not own this music. I did not upload this album. I am merely providing a download link for anyone who stumbles upon this blog and would like to follow along with my little first impressions review. Also, if you can try clothes on before you buy them, why not try music out before you buy the album?

1. Mother Machine: This track starts with some rip-roarin' guitarwork! I'm guessing that this is about as heavy as it's going to get on this album. It's Delain. They're poppy. Oh man, I love this chorus. This was one of the first songs from this album that they played live, back when they were still doing shows in support of April Rain.
2. Electricity: Oh, I was wrong about the extent of the heaviness. This track has a pretty driving guitar rhythm. I don't like this track as much as the opener, but it's pretty standard Delain -- that exact mixture of light and heavy.
3. We Are The Others: The opening is very tinkly and light. It's nice. It kind of reminds me of those dance songs from the 80's. The lyrics are kind of cheesy, but the message is clear and it's great that the band is paying their respects to Sophie through this track. I thought that since Sophie was the influence for the name of the album that the whole disc would be about her, but this is a great alternative. There's something about the chorus that is catchy.
4. Milk And Honey: Ooooooh, this song sounds kind of sexy. I love the synth effects they use, very atmospheric. This song became a lot heavier than I'd anticipated! Another pleasant song, it doesn't stand out all that much, though. Perhaps it will grow on me.
5. Hit Me With Your Best Shot: I was half-afraid that this would be a cover, but at the same time I was curious as to how Delain would cover the Pat Benatar hit. But alas, this is not a cover, and it is so good. The chorus that opens the song is so darn catchy. Delain really kicked up the heaviness in this album! I'm surprised, pleasantly! This is fantastic. I think that this may be my favourite song so far.
6. I Want You: The opening melody is different stylistically from your standard Delain piano stuff. As the guitars kick in, it becomes apparent that this is going to be a power ballad... with a lot of oomph! The chorus is not particularly catchy, though. Listening to the lyrics, though, is very interesting. I didn't notice the story at first, but then I heard the word "car" and became intrigued. Ah.
7. Where Is The Blood (feat. Burton C. Bell): Oh, this one has a few Middle Eastern influences it sounds like, though I can't be sure. Whoa, this song is heavy. Burton C. Bell's vocals add a nice contrast, and this song is actually quite catchy. Love it.
8. Generation Me: 140 characters...? Oh man, this song is about the technology in this day and age, isn't it? Oh cripes, this song is about my generation. This is... interesting. This song kind of makes me feel uncomfortable; like being forced to look at your own ugly reflection in the mirror.
9. Babylon: Delain is really surprising me with how heavy this album is. It's not so much that the songs are heavy as a whole, but the guitar work is heavy and less melodious. The chorus of this track is quite catchy, as well. The backing vocals are fantastic, too! They really add to the chorus.
10. Are You Done With Me: For some reason I'm reminded of a western or somewhere with adobe abodes through which the wind blows. This song sounds more like a pop radio hit than any other song on here so far. I'm not overly fond of this track. Maybe the chorus sounds too uplifting for me.
11. Get The Devil Out Of Me: I love this song. This was the first song that they released, months before their album's release even. It's catchy and the guitar takes less of a backseat, much like in "Mother Machine".
12. Not Enough: We get another tinkly intro... now, will the rest of the song stay this way? Nope! Nothing really stands out about this track, I admit, which is a shame for this closer of a track. There is a bit more variety in terms of the instrumentation, but it's not interesting enough, I've got to say.

So, in conclusion, this is another solid album by Delain. Their sound is a combination of two far more polarized parts -- the heavy has gotten heavier and the light has gotten tinklier. It's a combination and style that is so specific to Delain, and I love them for it. There are fewer symphonic aspects this time around, and I think that the songs do suffer a bit from the lack of variety in instruments. Regardless, this is overall an enjoyable album, though  it is by no means their magnum opus. Here, have the official "Get The Devil Out Of Me" video:

Artist: Sonata Arctica
Album: Stones Grow Her Name
Year: 2012
Genre: Progressive-power metal/rock... with a banjo solo
Download: list of links here | or here | direct link

Disclaimer: I do not own this music. I did not upload this album. I am merely providing download links for anyone who stumbles upon this blog and would like to follow along with my little first impressions review.

Only the Broken Hearts (Make You Beautiful) - whoa! I love this song. Right from the intro, I know that I am going to enjoy this song. Not what I was expecting for an opener, but great nonetheless! Catchy! Much heavier than I was expecting for a first track on an album, but thinking back to Unia, they did the same with "In Black and White", and it seems to be a great tactic.
Shitload of Money - and all the metal fans groaned and swore to never listen to Sonata Arctica ever again. The end. No, but really, this song is not as tongue-in-cheek as one might think. It's an alright track, but nothing about it grabs me. Oh, except for the "she's got a shitload of money" line.
Losing My Insanity - looking back on this track, I'm not all that fond of it, but something about it is sticking in my mind. Maybe it's from the previews I heard, but I cannot deny that there is something that is inherently catchy about this song.
Somewhere Close To You - ahh, and another nice and heavy intro! The heaviness stays for the duration of the song, and this reminds me of their work on Unia. Whoa, is that the keytar? That is a really crazy sound! It sounds like... an elephant trumpeting. Or how I think an elephant trumpeting would sound.
I Have a Right - oh man. I love the opening, with that synth line (I think it's a synth? Most things are synth patches nowadays anyway). This is their first single, and it was released last month, I believe. I loved it back then, and nothing of my impression of it has changed. This is a great track, with just the right amount of melancholy. The balance of the instruments is great, too!
Alone in Heaven - oh a ballad? More like a power ballad! This is a nice song, though I'm not sure if I'm crazy about the lyrical repetition of "heaven". But otherwise, this is a ballad with a bit of bite, which is great!
The Day - this song is a bit nondescript, although when the acoustic guitar kicks in, it's a nice reprieve from the vocal-heavy first half of the song. This song is also a power ballad (I think, as it's a bit slower, and in fact, it blended in with "Alone in Heaven" when transitioning) with a very seaside feel to it.
Cinderblox - and after the strangely cash register-esque sounds in the first few seconds, the banjo kicks in! So it goes from hoedown to your regular progressive-power metal romp. I remember listening to this album's previews and the line in this song in those previews really sticks in my mind. The banjo persists throughout the song, and the combination of the distorted guitar with it creates an interesting sound that is surprisingly not altogether bad.
Don't Be Mean - the intro is stark -- just Tony's voice and a keyboard, and despite the silly song title, this song is reminiscent of their old ballads with the simple instrumentation, though the melody itself is more in the vein of their more recent "progressive rock" sound.
Wildfire, Part: II - One With the Mountain - I love the folksy feel of this song. And it sounds like the banjo is back! The voice that says "hello" about a minute in freaked me out a bit, but it merely hinted at the TDoG style that kicks into full force shortly after. Okay, this is quite possibly my favourite song on the album. I love that they were able to capture the aggression of fire in this song, and I liken this song to "Deathaura" from TDoG, not so much in terms of story/lyrical themes/instrumentation, but in terms of the scale and quality of it!
Wildfire, Part: III - Wildfire Town, Population: 0 - oh my gosh, what is that weird sound that kicks off the start of this track?! The aggression kicks in quickly and the wilderness sounds really add to the song. I quite like this track as well! The percussion is reminiscent of their older power metal work, and the tinkly piano is more akin to that on TDoG, and the combination is great! Okay, I like this more than "Wildfire, Part: II", I've got to say. This track is also fairly reminiscent of "Deathaura", especially at the halfway mark. Although, I've got to say that I'm not crazy about the voice over at the end either.
Tonight I Dance Alone - this is a bonus track and I can see why (so far). This is another slow song and power ballad that is quite pleasant, but it doesn't jump out at me. After the grandness of the two Wildfire songs, it's a bit of a letdown hearing this song next. But again, it is a pleasant enough ballad.

All in all, this is a solid album. There weren't a lot of really standout songs, but the Wildfire songs are brilliant! I was sceptical of their use of a banjo, but it turned out that Sonata Arctica was able to incorporate it into their album surprisingly well. The first half of the album seems to be more upbeat and the formulas used in these songs are tried, tested, and true. The second half of the album is where we get more experimentation, and it is fantastic! Leave it to Sonata Arctica to push the limits and produce another album in which they combined experimentation with familiarity!


And now I leave you with the video for "I Have a Right", lead single off of Sonata Arctica's Stones Grow Her Name...

Also known as the day I (finally) went to a My Chemical Romance concert. Feel free to ignore this blog post.

Setlist:

I got to my concert buddy's place at around 7:20 and the concert started at 8PM so we hustled our way to the skytrain station. It took us maybe 15 minutes to get to Granville and then we got lost looking for the venue. Luckily my buddy brought her GPS with her. Note to self and anyone who is attending a gig at the Centre for Performing Arts: it is across from the Central library and there are many stairs inside the place. If you have balcony seats, then "many" means several flights of them.

We weren't aware of the tickets being on sale until months after all of the closer seats were sold so we got seats on the upper balcony. I didn't really think that that was horrible or anything, after all, I've moved on from MCR, for the most part. So as we were going up the stairs, I noticed a long line-up forming from the second floor up the stairs. With my keen eye (lol), we realized that it was the merch line-up. Holy Jesus. It was long. No pics for you since we joined that line as quickly as possible. And it went decently quickly, though we still missed the entire set for the first opening act (the Architects). I wasn't too bothered by that.

We caught the second opening act, Neon Trees, and they were alright. Nothing overly special about them, but apparently one of their songs was featured on Glee. And I actually had caught that episode. Obviously they aren't all that memorable... But major props to the drummer. She sang while she drummed. What a badass.

MCR came in during their intro ("Look Alive, Sunshine") and launched right into "Na Na Na". It was a great track to lead with -- definite energizer and the first song anyone heard off their latest album. The next song they played was from their sophomore album, called "Thank You For the Venom" which starts with a memorable, quick little riff. Not my favourite off Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, but it isn't a track I'm thoroughly opposed to. Another high energy song with fast riffing and a driving rhythm. The entire setlist seemed to alternate Danger Days songs with older favourites. "Planetary (GO)!" was next. Meh, I'm not crazy about this song, but at least it was lively and I could remember one line about velocity making someone sweat. Heck yes. The next track was "Hang 'Em High", another song from their Revenge days. It made me realize that I really quite miss their old style.

The next two songs, "SING" and "Vampire Money" are from their new album and I'm not overly fond of either of them, though "SING" has a great message and it is probably their most well-known track (to the mainstream crowd) thanks to it being featured on an episode of Glee. I have to say that I'm glad that Glee didn't do an MCR song that I'm fond of. That'd ruin it for me, I think. And about "Vampire Money", the song is allegedly about how the band was asked to do a song for the Twilight movies but didn't want to just buy into that franchise to make megabucks. I knew that there was a reason why I liked this band. Anywho...

They went back to their Black Parade days with "Mama" which is a bit more downtempo, but it's a fun song (even if it is a bit depressing and cynical). They followed this with "The Only Hope For Me Is You" which was initially my favourite song off Danger Days. They revisited The Black Parade again with "House of Wolves" which is quite honestly one of my favourite MCR songs ever ever ever. So I think I was hopping up and down for a bit when I realized what they were playing. This song is red red red!

"Summertime" was next, which a lot of people around me seem to adore ("OMG I LOVE THIS SONG!"), though I don't see the beauty of it. Maybe I'm too old to believe in magical summers. They kicked it old school with "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" next. Okay, this song, I know for sure that I hopped up and down for a bit at the beginning and smashed into the middle aged mother on my right. Oh, right, yeah. The crowd was a pretty varied bunch, though they were predominantly scene/emo/goth. I was surprised by how many middle-aged people there were, though some were probably just chauffeuring their children... The middle aged folks (dressed smartly with bright red dyed hair) around me weren't...

The next song was "Famous Last Words" which was just... yessssssss! I remember listening to that song when I was down years ago. Actually, I'm pretty sure that MCR is really what got me through those teenage years. Kamelot was there for me when I became stable. "DESTROYA" was next, and though I didn't know all of the words exactly, I had a good time dancing to this one. "Welcome to the Black Parade" followed "DESTROYA" and at this point, my voice was really almost entirely gone. I wasn't even singing along at this point, just shouting awkwardly. They rounded out their set with "Teenagers" (hella fun live) and "Helena". I think that I've waited like 4 years to hear "Helena" live and experience the little singalong that goes with it.

They came back for one encore song (I WAS VERY DISAPPOINT), "Bulletproof Heart", and then it was time to retrace our steps and go home. I really really really wished that they had played more songs, but in total, that's like 17 songs? And that's a good number. They've been touring for months now so I get that they're probably tired. And they played plenty of stuff that I enjoyed, anyway.

I think that that was the most energy I've expended in a while. And that was the most I've ever let go at a concert, I think. Not that I was full on headbanging, but I danced a lot and didn't give a damn what anyone thought.

Concerts are like drugs.

So the new Within Temptation album leaked on Monday. And I was too wrapped up in schoolwork to notice until today. Damn. Okay, well, I've been craving some new Within Temptation so this thing leaked at a good time. I have just enough time tonight to do a little track-by-track "first impression" commentary.

---

Disclaimer: I don't endorse the piracy of music, nor do I own this album. This is me test-driving this album. I mean, you test drive cars and try on clothes, why can't I give this album a listen before I buy it? Makes sense to me. I encourage you to do the same. And of course you can listen along as I comment on whichever song I'm listening to.

Artist: Within Temptation
Album: The Unforgiving
Download: here or here or wherever else you can find it. I'm feeling lazy. Let me know in the comments if either of the links go down.

1. Why Not Me: The intro track. I've heard it before through samples and whatnot. It's creepy and it has a voiceover to set the mood at whatnot. Not all that fond of it.
2. Shot in the Dark: The drum beat sounds à la trip-hop, which is an interesting quality to introduce to Within Temptation's music. The lyrics aren't all that special. Overall this is a catchy, pleasant-sounding track. Whoa, it's been so long since I've listened to Within Temptation; did they always have guitar solos in their songs?
3. In the Middle of the Night: Me gusta that guitar opening rift. Minus Sharon's "oooh-oooh"-ing, I like the intro quite a lot. Nice orchestral stabs. I like the energy and drive. The titular line sounds kind of silly to me, especially when it leads into this crazy little riff. I kind of miss Sharon's higher register vocals.
4. Faster: This is another track I've heard before as it was WT's leading single from this album. (I think, don't quote me on that.) Another pleasant-sounding song, though much more down-tempo than the previous track. Don't get me wrong; it doesn't lose the energy completely, but the contrast was a little jarring for me at first. "AND I CAN'T LIIIIIIIIVE IN A FAIRY TALE OF LIIIIIIIIES" Just noticed at the 2:00-2:15 mark this "Hey! Hey!" chanting in the background. Odd. But I'm liking the little section that got cut out in the edited version. Nice.
5. Fire and Ice: The string-heavy intro sounds very soundtrack-esque. It reminds me of a particular soundtrack actually, but I can't put my finger on it. At 1:30, I have labelled this as a sleepy little ballad. At 2:00, good to see that it's picked up. This ballad definitely benefits from the added instruments. Now that I've gotten over that little kick of life, this song is still kind of 'meh' as a ballad for me. It isn't at that level that their previous ballads are at.
6. Iron: Am I the only one reminded of "The Other Side (Of Me)" upon hearing the opening guitar riff? Well, anyway, I like that they've picked up some energy with this track. There's somewhat of a Celtic feel to it, too. Or maybe it's just me. I think it's the lilt. Not loving the lyrics, though I'm liking everything else. I keep hearing "Oh damn ... (the war is coming)" which is weirding me out. Maybe I'm just tired. Unless WT suddenly became obsessed with the word "damn". FFFUUUUU voice over. Y U NO LET THE MUSIC JUST BE? If anything, this song has fantastic orchestration and instrumentation, not fantastic vocals. Oh wow. And a guitar solo! KEY MODULATION. Okay, I'm liking this song more now, even with the vocals. "DON'T WALK AWAY!"
7. Where is the Edge: This is another song I'd heard before thanks to the little music video for that "Me & Mr. Jones" movie (I probably wrote that wrong). I'm not super crazy about this song, though it's catchy. It has that same catchiness quality as "Faster" and "Shot in the Dark". There are certain aspects of this song I quite like though. For example, the voice distortions at around 1:50 and the little string riff at around 2:00.
8. Sinéad: The intro is soft and dream-like. Oh my gosh, is this another electronic drum beat? Regardless of whether or not it actually is, it has that same electronic/trip-hop/dance quality to it. Mmm, very nice when the rest of the instruments come in. I like this song. Even if it has this weird kind of fresh, crystalline look in my mind. This song is also a lesson in the pronunciation of Irish names (e.g. Sinéad, Siobhan, other names with that trick 'Si').
9. Lost: The intro made me mentally facepalm because it sounds like so many of those songs we learned in Guitar class. Arpeggio, let's go! There's a little motive that they keep using in the songs on this album. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing, but it's something I've noticed that keeps popping up in a few of their vocal lines. This song is a bit of a yawner. Maybe it needs a few more listens. As much as I appreciate the power in the "HELP ME, I'M BURIED ALIVE" line, it contrasts a bit too much with the rest of the song for my tastes. Overall, not an outstanding song, but pleasant enough.
10. Murder: Oooooh creepy intro. I'm getting images of one of those black and white movies and a scene with villains in trenchcoats. I like the dark feel to this song, though the vocal distortion is not overwhelmingly brilliant or anything. Actually, I don't like the verses because of that distortion. The chorus is catchy. Interesting little choral runs.
11. A Demon's Fate: This song starts with a distorted vocal intro. I really like the syncopated rhythm. There's a frantic sort of feel to this song. I like the bridge. The chorus not so much. And the vocal intro comes back from time to time. WHOA just heard the Phantom of the Opera motive. This actually sounds like metal. AND there's a guitar solo. Nice.
12. Stairway to the Skies: Based on the title of this song, the intro sounds much darker than I'd expected. Ah, there's that uplifting feeling. There are certainly elements of this that are reminiscent of The Silent Force, but overall I can't find any hooks in this song to keep this song in my head. Again, not a bad song, but it doesn't really stand out for me.

Right, so I'm technically done my paper, but now I just have to do up the bibliography and endnotes and print it all out. It looks like it's going to be 7-8 pages so I'll be scrounging around looking for a duotang or some sort of folder, I guess.

Oh, and I totally just killed a spider on the wall. Bitch didn't know what was coming.

So while I indulge in some lucubration (dictionary.com word of the day!) by writing up my bibliography, I'll give the new Serenity album a listen and do a little some massive track-by-track "first impressions" commentary.
I mean, it's not like my day was very exciting or anything anyway.

Alright, let's start with a little basic info:
Band: Serenity
Album: Death & Legacy
Release date: le vingt-cinq février (Feb. 25/11, whut up!)
General Intro/Disclaimer: This is my first impression of the album. Granted, I've heard 2 tracks already from the music video and single, but aside from that, these are my first thoughts hearing the album. No, I haven't read anyone else's thoughts on this album so I'm not biased. I don't own this album (yet) nor do I endorse piracy. I think of this as trying the album out before I buy. To me that only makes sense that you'd try before you buy. And if I like this album, then I fully intend on doing my very best to get a hard copy. Please note that I am not the uploader.

Go download the album from here to listen along with me. Or if you want direct download links then try this, this, or this. Ahem...

1. Set Sail to... (Intro): Not a particularly musical or melodious intro track, but it definitely sets the whole "I'm on a boat" (lulz) sensation up for "New Horizons"...
2. New Horizons: I like the opening riff! Actually, I really quite like the instrumentation overall. And that double kick drum work. Niiiiiiiice. Sounds very much like power metal. My guess is that it's about Napoleon Bonaparte? Unless I am mixing up my facts (I thought I heard "Elba"). It's a very solid track.
3. The Chevalier: Oooh the intro! It starts off with a stately little strings rift backed by a choir before absolutely rocking into that signature Serenity sound. I've already listened to this track plenty of times before back when the music video was released. In fact, I think I posted that video. In short, this song is thoroughly enjoyable and is very catchy. And the female guest vocals (Ailyn of Sirenia) sound better here than in her own bloody band. "TONIIII-EEE-IIII-EEE-IIIGHT"
4. Far From Home: This track starts with a lot of aggressive energy. Not a bad thing. I feel like as it transitions into the chorus for the first time... it's a letdown. Like the chorus could've been some super catchy powerful thing, but it fell a little short. That being said, by the second chorus, I'm starting to really like the nuances of the chorus. It's catchy in its own way, albeit not very in-your-face. Definitely liking the little bridge with the vocals on the offbeats. Another very solid track.
5. Heavenly Mission: Oh interesting layered vocal intro. And of course, we kick it into high gear after about 20 seconds. Hmm, there's this strange heavy sound. I can't quite describe it, but to me it's heavy and dark brown. All I know is that it's on the downbeat and I like it. It makes the song stand out. As we transition into the chorus, I realize that I quite like this song. It's a little slower than the last few tracks, but it seems more melodious. Oh, and I've figured out that it's some sort of drum or percussion instrument. Great variety in instruments in this song. I'm hearing: "The chocolate frost is growing pain" (at 4:18). I am lol'ing. Oh Georg, don't ever lose that accent~
6. Prayer (Interlude): Ah, bells! Tolling! John Donne! And a choir. Ah, and now I understand why Ailyn is credited as being featured in this track as well, with her being Spanish and all. I admit that she doesn't have a fantastic voice for this kind of atmospheric thing, but whatever. Pleasant enough, I suppose. Fairly nondescript track. Feels like wannabe Kamelot, but not quite reaching that level in creepy/cool/confusing interludes.
7. State of Siege: Interesting percussion-heavy intro. Very marching band-esque. And an oboe solo it sounds like. Definitely getting the "let's go to war, guise!" vibe. Whoa. The guitar came in and smothered the drums. Nice. And vocals come in 2/5 of the way through. Sounds very standard power metal with some very tasteful symphonic embellishments.
8. Changing Fate: Acoustic guitar starts this track off, accompanied by some strings and jangly percussion. This song sounds rather nondescript so far. Pleasant, but not outstanding, really. Ooooh Amanda Somerville does the guest vocals! I quite like her. And she adds some life to the song. When Georg and Amanda sing together, it sounds nice. Alright, things have livened up, especially when the guitar solo came in. I feel bad for thinking this song boring initially. I'll have to give it another listen with the lyrics in front of me.
9. When Canvas Starts to Burn: Some heavy guitar riffing starts this one off. This song sounds hella agressive [French has evidently degraded my English] aggressive. Hm, the song mellowed out a little. And has gone back to being aggressive. I'm really digging this aggression, not gonna lie.
10. Serenade of Flames: ADFAFDADSJFKL; I adore this song. Honestly, I really truly do. The opening guitar riff is catchy. The chorus is catchy. There is just a hint of aggression in the guitar following the intro. Charlotte Wessel's vocals are spot-on. Her voice has a different quality to it, and it's one that I like so I was definitely looking forward to hearing this song when she was announced as a guest vocalist. Yes, I've listened to this song before, but I didn't fangirl over it quite so much as I am now. :)
11. Youngest of Widows: Oh cool layered vocals for an intro! The guitar's really driving, but there are some nice orchestral stabs. This song really has that uplifting feeling (à la standard power metal, yeah yeah you're sick of me genre-dropping). And I really should stop saying "really". This is a limited edition bonus track, but I think that I like it more than "State of Siege". Ah well.
12. Below Eastern Skies (Interlude): Whoa, trippy intro. Definitely has that Middle Eastern feel. The female vocals sound kind of thin to me, but oh well. They're not supposed to be the focus or anything. I do think that Serenity did a good job of capturing the Middle Eastern vibe. And I can't help but be reminded of Kamelot ("Desert Reign/Nights of Arabia").
13. Beyond Desert Sands: [added later, after "My Legacy", see "To India's Shores" notes] NIIIIIIGHTS OF ARA--oh wait. Nah, doesn't sound at all like "Nights of Arabia", but I'm definitely hearing Kamelot influences. Liking the guitar a lot. Ah, okay, this song is catchy. And has those kickass double kick drum sixteenth notes. Oh, random female backup vocals! I love random female backup vocals! "SEVENTEEN YEAAAAAAAARS"
14. To India's Shores: Sounds so pretty! *0* I'm a sucker for pretty string arrangements, and this song does indeed start with a pretty string arrangement. Wait, am I missing a song? Where is "Beyond Desert Sands"? Oh Jesus. This kind of... messes things up. Anyone care to link me to a download that has "Beyond Desert Sands" or just send it to me? T^T  [found it, WMP is being a derp and isn't including it when I just play the Death & Legacy album. Quoiiiiii?]... but holy fripping Jesus, this song is pretty. "SO MY TIIIIIIIIIME HAS COOOOOOME"
15. Lament (Interlude): Sounds like Italiano to me. Though it could be Espagnol. Translation pls. My knowledge of French doesn't quite make me fluent in all Romance languages.
16. My Legacy: Interesting way to start off the track. There's a feeling of urgency with those starting lines. Sounds like a pleasant, pretty standard Serenity track. Bits of it are quite catchy, but I think I'm still trying to get over "To India's Shores". Holy crap, that was pretty.

I feel like I made a lot of progress today in terms of my term paper, the subject of which is focused on Vivaldi, Venice, and the concerto. I started today's ongoing essay-writing session at 852 words and now I'm at a jubilant 1338. I hope to get this done before going to bed tonight!

(Word count: 1338/1600)
So my day was another uneventful day spent at home. Not that that's a bad thing, really. My project partner came over to try and start working on our project (I hate C++), but we kind of got distracted by hunger and  pokémon and animé. More specifically, this animé:

It's called Madoka Magica or Puella Magi, I'm not sure which exactly. And apparently it has a lot of elements of/parallels to the story of Faust, which appeals to me, though I am not really seeing it. And I've been forced to watch like 7 episodes of it so far. So yeah. I'm not a big animé person or anything, but it seems alright.
I actually quite like the closing credits theme song, which is "Magia" by Kalafina. That being said, I don't think that I'm turning Japanese or anything.

The harmonies are so nice *0* And it is amazing to see some Asian (non-Filipina) girls who can actually sing. Or maybe I'm just used to seeing all those sad sap talent competition contestants on TV at my grandparents'. Anyway... today was not a productive day in terms of CPSC.

(Word count: 1447/1600)

In other news, America is contemplating charging us for crossing the border. When my mom first told me about it, I was all "oh noes, now how will I buy cheap things?!" until she clarified that people driving down in private vehicles wouldn't be charged. Whew. Though honestly, I am not digging the charging extra for flights. The USA is a swell place to vacation in, but it's already kind of expensive to travel by plane, and now, if this proposal becomes anything more than just a proposal, it just tacks on another cost. I suppose that, like with most "extra fees", I understand the point of this, but it just seems like an extra nuisance. I like things the way they are, thank you very much, Obama.

(Word count: 1500/1600)

I was looking at some random articles on Wikipedia about the European Union (a concept that was unclear to me, especially after reading an article mentioning the Eurozone) and I saw some pictures of Finland and Estonia. And man, I am having another one of my bouts of Eurocrave (because the Euro- prefix makes everything cool).
And speaking of Europe, I came across this deviantArtist who's doing this little series called "Scandinavia and the World" where countries are personified and stereotypes are glorified. Silliness aside, it's actually kind of interesting to see these stereotypes in comic form. Her comics are also rather educational if you aren't Scandinavian and/or don't know Scandinavian history.

(Word count: 1607/1600)
Yesssssss, I've reached my minimum word limit! Time to turn in!

Also, I've just realized that I've had pizza for at least one meal for 5 days in a row now...

Let's see what my word count is now after about an hour and a half of alternating between reading, blogging, watching YouTube videos, writing, and Googling for download links.
(Word count: 1813/1600)

The year is winding down and it's been a full week since my last blog post! Sadly, the urge to procrastinate during the school year is what drives me to blog, otherwise I feel as though I have far more important things to do. Anywho, I'll try to recap the last week that I spent off Blogger.

The 24th of course was Christmas Eve. The afternoon was spent at a surprise going away party for an old high school friend. By the by, did anyone get the fancy dancy "professional camera" photos from that party? I'm curious as to how failtastic they ended up being. From this party, I went straight to my grandmother's place for Christmas dinner. Although I had eaten some at the going away party, I managed to scarf down some more food -- about 2 platefuls. Yes, I'm a fatty.

That being said, I love seeing my cousins and hanging out with them. And even though we don't exchange presents anymore, it's fun just watching TV and playing video games together. Or rather, watching one cousin play video games. x) Watching someone play sadistically hard video games is just as entertaining as playing them myself so that was win.

The next morning was Christmas Day and sadly I ended up waking up the latest in my family. Yup, my parents, who had been up late the previous night stuffing stockings and wrapping things, got up before I did. On the bright side, I got my Christmas wish for more sleep? Anyway, I'll skip the details of the things I got for Christmas since it wasn't a lot, but it made me happy regardless. I will say that my parents got me this as a sort of reminder of our trip to London (and if you squint real hard, you can see my name, too). Supposedly it's for my own place when I eventually move out. :)

I spent the afternoon playing video games with my brother (Donkey Kong Country Returns is ridiculously hard!) and we brought dinner over to the care home my grandma (other side of family) is staying in. Dinner was good: roasted chicken, ham, scalloped potatoes, roasted potatoes, some takeout food, and stuffing! I still find it mildly amusing that my grandma was glad that we didn't bring rice. "They try to give me that stuff every day here. I never eat it." Is hatred of rice genetic?

I don't think that I was hungry for that entire 48-hour period of Christmas, to be honest. The leftovers from Christmas Day have lasted us this entire week. I fear that it will carry over into next week as well. Gah!

Boxing Day was rather uneventful, though I did pick up a new pair of rainboots downtown. The 27th was my Guitar Hero/LOTR/Wii party, which was nice. Maybe there was too much focus on LOTR (I had no idea that other people liked it, too -- or rather, other people found Orlando Bloom & Viggo Mortensen attractive), but we did eventually get around to Guitar Hero with just 3 of us on drums, vocals, and guitar. We played for pretty much a solid 4 hours. To be honest, it didn't feel that long, but the numbers on the clock don't lie. @_____@ I probably had too much fruit punch, which resulted in this tweet:

BrokenMosaic:
Best part of this morning? Either the duet of "Misery Business" - Paramore or the random dancing of "Walking On Sunshine" w/ @DelusionElle.

I'm still not sure what to make of it. Damn Paramore and their catchy tunes.

Oh and I also got a haircut, though there isn't much difference except for the fact that to get my hair to look decent, I have to tie it up, which is very annoying given the bout of cold we're experiencing. Tying my hair up results in poofy hair afterwards so it's all looking rather lose-lose at the moment.

The next day was a day off from socialization, and was instead a day of... IKEA. Waking up bright and early on the 28th, I accompanied my dad and brother to IKEA to pick up some Billy bookcases that were on sale ($29 as opposed to the regular $69). After indulging in a cheap IKEAn breakfast, and buying some kolsyrad pärondryck (that's "sparkling pear drink" to you), we went home and I bought my CPSC textbooks off a girl who was actually in my lab last year, but ended up taking 2nd year courses in the summer. Funny thing is that I didn't know it was the girl from my lab until I met up with her and we were like "Heeeeeeeeey youuuuuu". Lovely. Anyhow, those books are taken care of and my wallet is a good $200 lighter. T______T I then hurtled my way across town to sell my Calc textbook for a measly $50. Maybe I should've asked for more. Oh well. Good thing I'm not in Commerce.

That brings me to today. Today me and my friends finally completed our Secret Santa exchange and I am very happy with my present. :) I definitely will be making good use of all that pencil lead in my music theory course next semester, and the report covers will undoubtedly come in handy for my next term paper. Haha, my days of only dark-coloured hoodies are over. xP

The rest of today I spent on this website listening to clips (I just listened to the complete playlist on YouTube. Twice.) of classical music found in pop culture. I love finally having a name & composer to put to a tune. I fully intend on putting some of those songs on my iPod now that I know what they are.

It seems only fitting that I plug some classical music now.

"If it ain't Baroque, don't fix it."

I think I may play my flute tomorrow.
Sorry for the long post! If you made it this far, you deserve a cookie. Unfortunately I ate them all, so a cat picture will have to suffice.

Right. So I'm embarking on my epic quest for knowledge.
In other words, I'm starting to study for finals. And I'm procrastinating from studying right now, of course.

I just came back from visiting my grandma, which always results in mixed feelings. It pains me to think that she's probably going to be living out the rest of her days in that hospital, but what can I do? All I can do is visit her whenever I can. Dammit, school, go away.

I'm also streaming the Epica concert in Milwaukee right now, though in just 5 days I'll be seeing them live. :) I love how their vocalist is dressed so stylishly tonight. Well, she's always dressed trendy, but compared to her bandmates in their tanktops/tees, it seems like something to be noted. I hope she doesn't collapse from wearing a leather jacket under the bright lights and in a venue full of people. /random

I gave the new MCR album a listen yesterday. Granted, I'd already heard everything on YouTube in their "listening party" video, but it's nice just getting the songs without the trippy rainbow visuals and the DJ commentary in-between. And I know that I should be out of my MCR phase (me circa 2006-7), but just listening to Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys made me smile. Also, the album title is so goddamn ridiculous that it cracks me up. I don't think I quite like this album as much as their previous work, but it has a certain charm with its energy. Or, as I like to think of it: MCR in colour. Not that their old songs were colourless, but the colours were more muted and focused on a certain part of the spectrum. Regardless, MCR is still a fun band. They kind of grew up some with this release, but they still know how to have fun. And I keep mishearing this one line in S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W (yeah yeah, laugh all you want) as: "Everybody hide your money from scarecrow" -___- That being said, anyone want to catch MCR with me in Vancouver on April 2nd? xP I'm not really expecting to say yes, and it's not like MCR is a band I'd kill to see live, but I think it'd be fun. And it'd bring back some nostalgia from adolescence. Oh wait. On second thought...

I think I actually wanted to blog about something non-music related today. Oh well. That's totally going to hell.

I'm kind of torn this week between listening to the new MCR album, my favourite Kamelot album, and some Epica in preparation for their concert. Ahhhh so many decisions.

I'm super glad to be done my CPSC project. Like, you wouldn't believe how glad. I am not looking forward to demo-ing the final project to my TA though. In many a way I hope that it isn't this specific TA of mine, but if it IS him who marks me, then I may get a better mark? Argh!

Bit of randomness about yesterday: My project partner stayed at my place until midnight so we could finish up the project and after having only gotten 6 hours of sleep the night before, I felt doner than dinner at like 10PM already. So I dozed in the car while my dad gave her a ride back to her dorm. On the trip back, I put on my favourite Kamelot CD and passed out. The roads were extremely empty, but about 4 songs into the album, my dad says, "Hey want to drive home? The roads are empty right now!" which made me freak the hell out. @____@ Luckily, after giving a very frantic and emphatic "NO!", I passed out again so even if he offered again, I was out like a light.

The end of term is in sight! Stay tuned for whiny blog posts about my slowly deteriorating mental state as I study for finals.

If only UBC was actually as fun this makes it seem:

Also, those Engineering jackets are just a ruse. Apparently those guys are Commerce students. Figures. Those party animals. :P

EDIT: It is bloody useful being able to eat with my left hand while doing homework with my right. FINALLY some usefulness that's come of semi-ambidexterity. :)

So I just finished off a bag of Skittles, 2 sour Starbursts (I think they mucked up the insides of my mouth with their acid nuuuuuu), and a bag of Reese's pieces. I wasn't even hungry, but I wanted to chomp viciously on things and now I can practically hear my teeth crying from the sugar overload.

Before I get down to business (aka Math practice questions ;____;), I'm going to go into Music student mode and blog about something we covered in class today that I found exceptionally mind-blowing. I know that all of the "wannabe Music majors" are probably too busy trying to kick Science course butt to read this, but I'll post it anyway. And blogging about this is probably good review for myself.

I WILL BLOG ABOUT MOAR NORMAL THINGS LATER, BUT RIGHT NOW I NEED TO GET THIS FANGIRLINESS OUT OF MY SYSTEM.

"Our hopes and expectations
Black holes and revelations"

Revelations of the week:

• No matter how many homework questions you kick ass on, nothing can prepare you for one of Peterson's calculus exams. Wow. That was hard. I'm just going to hope and pray for a passing grade. ;____;
• I am ridiculously easy to find via Google. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not. I don't find that I blog about particularly interesting things (unless you enjoy reading the whiny ramblings of a teenage girl), so, dear stalkers around the world, I apologize for blogging about such uninteresting things. I would comment further on the stalker revelations, but it feels like a game and I HAVEN'T GAMED IN A LONG TIME so this is kind of fun. In a weird, not-actually-THAT-fun way. Still fun... if that makes any sense. :P
• November is the month when all Science students cry. Or at least, they want to cry, either due to lack of sleep, an insane amount of studying, or because of incredibly stressful assignments. I'm glad that I am not wanting to go into a health sciencey thing. It sounds like all the Microbiol/Biochem/Physio kids are close to breaking. And we all know that I broke long long ago~
• People really think that they're going to find answers/hints/tips/tricks on how to write Java code for the CURRENT CPSC project on my blog. This is ridiculously funny. Why ever on earth would you think that I, a lowly second year student who is minoring in Music, would post the code for how to make a Photo/Album/Tag class on here? You are silly people. Silly silly people. And even though I am getting hits from people wondering about CPSC co-op interview stuffies, I HAVEN'T GONE FOR MY INTERVIEW YET SO THERE'S NOTHING TO SEE HERE~
• Procrastination is a bad addiction of mine. Bad bad very bad. T______T I realized just HOW bad this week. I've srsly cut down on MSN time, AND YET I AM STILL FAILING AT LIFE. D:
• Contrary to popular belief, Asian girls do NOT especially like Jewish guys. In fact, it is the other way around. Trust me on this one.

Holy Jesus, when did I last blog?  October 28th?! It's already November 5th! This is ludicrous!
Admittedly, nothing insanely interesting has happened between now and the 28th. NaNoWriMo began and I am totally out of any sort of ideas for stories right now (too many stories are already partway being written and NaNoWriMo stuffs should be new). Plus time is not on my side at the moment, in case you haven't noticed~ On the other hand, I did check the word count of the (3rd draft, 1st completed of) one story I finished this past summer (or whenever I tweeted that "asdfasdjfkl; epilogue" tweet) and it is 48k. Wow. Damn. I'm tempted to squeeze another 2k words into that draft so I can get NaNoWriMo to send me a nice physical copy of it. Admittedly, I probably wouldn't look at it once I'd have it in my hands (OH THE IMPERFECTIONS THAT MUST BE FIXED IN THE 4TH DRAFT, THEY BURN MY EYESSSSSS), but at least if someone were to say "What things have YOU done in your pathetic life, wee human?" I could take that physical copy out and wave it around in said someone's face and rudely blow raspberries.

Wow, sorry about that wall o' text there. I'VE MISSED BLOGGING. I ADMIT IT. T____T
... And yes, I admit that I am harsh procrastinating right now. But oh well~~~

Oh, yes, and to blog in a not so self-centred fashion, Gordon Campbell stepped down as Liberal party leader! That's awesome. I'm not really into politics or anything, but I'm glad that he's gone. None of the adults I'd heard from were very happy with what he's done to the province so with him stepping down, that'll hopefully result in happiness everywhere~ I think I remember reading this quote from a senior citizen: "Oh Campbell's gone? Did he take the HST with him?" I love old people.

(Long entry is long .____. A THOUSAND APOLOGIES, MY LOVELIES.)

It struck me today as I was wasting away in class that there was a time when I was young, a boy with bold ambitions practiced piano 6 hours a day, in 2-3 hour groupings. I cannot imagine doing that at all right now. AT ALL. I had even had my little practicing schedule planned out in Google Calendars and everything. Damn, I used to be such a good kid. Though, I really really really do miss my piano. I'm tempted to (hire someone to) move my air conditioner out of my room since it's practically winter now and to bring up my keyboard from my basement. MY KEYBOARD IS CRAP. BUT it's better than nothing. I've had that sucker since I was 5. It's kind of my plug in baby. (However, I'd totally kill to get a new keyboard. Or an electric piano. Or a keytar. Those things are TEH SHIT.) And it'd be in the privacy of my own room without my mom wandering in going "OH THAT SOUNDS GOOD. OH MY GOSH YOU WROTE THAT? I THOUGHT YOU WERE A ONE-TRICK PONY." Yeah, thanks. =_______=
I think that I want to relearn this waltz that I used to be able to play (from memory HOLY SHIT). It was my List C for grade 10 piano. I freaking loved it:

Srsly. If you don't love Chopin after that, I will smack you upside the head so badly, pink unicorns will come prancing out of your ears. And by "pink unicorns", I mean "blood". And by "prancing", I mean "gushing". I kid, I kid. Everyone's free to have their own tastes and opinions. It's just that... COME ON, MAN, IT'S CHOPIN. CHO-FREAKING-PIN. And if you pronounce it "choppin'", just make sure that I am not within earshot. Otherwise, there WILL be blood. Lots of it.

Classical music (alright alright, Romantic music, for the pedant in you) fangirling aside, here's some J-Rock to amuse you by my #1 stalker's (I wonder just how many stalkers I actually have) favourite band:

I WAS GOING TO BLOG ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE, TOO, BUT I FORGOT. Perhaps I will blog again later as I'm relatively free this weekend... No midterms to stress over next week, just that blasted interview, though I'm not overly afraid of it. It'll just be a pain in the butt with the semi-formal clothing and such.

"Our hopes and expectations
Black holes and revelations
Hold you in my arms
I just wanted to hold
You in my arms"

- Muse, "Starlight"

This song epically confuses me. I freaking love when the guitar kicks in, but as a whole, this song makes me confused as phuck. @_________@

I'm dead freaking tired, but I just wanted to post some stuff here so I don't forget about it. Or like, I don't forget to download it. IDK what I'm saying, I'm tired.

Trippppp-hoppppppp. I kind of like trip-hop in a rly weird guilty pleasure-ish way.




And I rly freaking love this song:

Though I kind of prefer the demo.

Aaaaaambient post-rooooooooooock


IS IT JUST ME, OR IS THERE A HEAVILY DISTORTED VOICE SINGING IN THERE? I THINK I AM TRIPPING OUT MAYBE?

Okej, I rly rly rly need some sleep.

Sometimes I don't get bands. Really. Sometimes they go off and change styles so drastically that I'm turned off. Other times they stick to the same formulaic bullshit. Well, not bullshit, but you know how it is: there's nothing new or innovative or creative about the latest stuff they're pushing out. I understand that it's hard to get that right balance of new and old within the ultimate balance of "do *I/WE* like it" versus "will the fans like it". For the most part, the bands I listen to keep their signature sound, but they do add new elements and somehow keep their songwriting fresh. BUT EVEN THEN. THERE ARE THINGS I DO NOT GET. Like, Kamelot, my numero uno band in the whole wide world. I just do not get one BIG BOTHERSOME thing...

If anyone can tell me WHY Kamelot would split this song into four separate tracks (other than to get moar Last.fm scrobbles), PLEASE TELL ME. Because this song is fantastic as a 9-minute long track (even if the way the person who put them together in the following clip isn't the greatest because in iTunes it DOESN'T HICCUP AT ALL). =______= THAT RIFF. IN THE FIRST PART. WHEN THE GUITAR FIRST COMES IN. UNICORNS. THAT IS LIKE. MY THEME MUSIC. And the second part is just like wow super lovely ballad. Then parts three and four get all BADASS. Bädåss. (Which if pronounced "properly" sounds nothing like "badass" BUT LOOK AT HOW BADASS IT LOOKS NAO.)

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN I WAS YOUNG, A BOY WITH BOLD AMBITIONSSSSS. [...] THERE WAS A TIME WHEN I COULD WATCH MYSELF WITHOUT... BEING... DISGRAAAAAAAAAAACED.

Though, to be honest, the badassocity of parts three and four do not compare with this muthaphuckin' MASTAH OF BADASS (that kind of reminds me of March of Mephisto):

WAAAAAAAAAAAKE MEEEEEE, REVOLVE IN MAH WOUNDZ, LAY DOWN YOUR ENEMYYYYYYYYYYY.


Buuuuuuuuuuut Martin found an interview with Kamelot where they mention hitting maybe possibly Vancouver in their second round of North American touring and hooooooooly yessssssss. THEY'D BETTER COME, GODDAMMIT. IF THEY COME, THEY WILL BE FORGIVEN FOR SPLITTING "Poetry for the Poisoned" INTO FOUR DIFFERENT TRACKS. FOR SRS.

I don't even know where I was going with this post, I just wanted to post something to procrastinate from studying for Math. Yes, I am a bad person. Quite bad. Qvite. :P

Just some images from Otep Shamaya's tumblr. The woman is a real wordsmith and a great thinker. I'm posting a song of hers at the end of this post. The lyrics are just wow. The video's kind of meh. But she's really got a set of pipes.

And can you believe that this is real?
It's probably best to watch this when you're in a screamy/angsty mood and are feeling jaded or something. Regardless, I love this song.

So I have some video spam that I'm not expecting anyone to watch, but it's kind of here for my own reference, really.
JUST ONE. JUST ONE MOAR DAY OF WORK, though I have a weekend off before that. THAT IS GOING TO BE ONE FREAKING HELLISH SHIFT, I CAN TELL YOU THAT RIIIIIIIIIGHT NOW.
Sometimes I think that I should just quit, but then where else am I going to get work pretty much only for the summer with little to no strings attached for the other 8-10 months of the year?
Yeah, nowhere, that's where.
I'm starting to miss Europe. And you know who to blame for that? Fobs.
I honestly find European accents that much more endearing than the Fob one. Yeah, I'm a hater, and yeah, HATERS GONNA HATE. If I could do a co-op exchange thing to Europe, I really wouldn't mind it. Maybe not London because of the craziness of the Tube and dirtiness and TOO MANY PEOPLE, but maybe like Finland or something since Nokia IS Finnish and all we do is write programs and design apps and stuffs like that in Computer Science, anyway.

But yeah, this song is my latest obsession. I think that the chorus' silliness somehow eclipsed the awesomeness and epicness of Kamelot's new album (though I'm still listening to Poetry for the Poisoned nonstop on my iPod). And I am just in the mood for silliness.

OH BABY LET ME STAAAAAAY YOUR ALLEY CAAAAAAAAAAAAT. <3 And this is Kamelot's newest video. A little strange, but darrrrrrk. And it's overly grandiose and blah blah blah, but that's okay. I like over the top. xD So if lead singers getting into character with black lipstick and long fake nails creeps you out, DO NOT WATCH.

If my stalker still reads this, I *do* recommend that she at least give these two songs a listen (or two) since they contain MALE VOCALS. And the singer in the first video is kind of a cutie. :3

August:

• Apocalyptica - 7th Symphony
  
  And I'm totally digging this song now (which features the chick from Flyleaf):
  
  
  
• Tristania - Rubicon
  
  
  

September:

• Tarja - What Lies Beneath
  
  
• Kamelot - Poetry for the Poisoned
  
  
• The Birthday Massacre - Pins & Needles
  
  
• Linkin Park - A Thousand Suns
  
  

And I leave you with an old Apocalyptica video featuring that guy from Three Days Grace (Adam Gontier?):

School
So my marks are finally in and I'm just mad at my Math mark, but oh well. It's Math. I'm not good at it. It will be my only obstacle in terms of getting a CPSC degree. That and maybe Stats *shudder*.
All my other marks were pleasant surprises, and thanks to the grade distribution site (thanks, cousin!) I found out that I got the highest mark in my English class! Wow! Major surprise there! Especially since everyone in that class acted like a know-it-all and I was relatively quiet (yeah, and I thought my prof hated me). After those AP results last year, I was sure that I could not do well in university English courses -- heck, I was sure that I had no ability to write and speaking in public was probably something I should not attempt in my life ever again.
But faith has been restored in English and in my major. My CPSC courses were actually pretty okay this year. I know I'm not the best or even remotely in the top 10%, but I'm above average by a decent amount.

DAMMIT, IF IT WASN'T FOR MATH, PHYS WOULD HAVE BEEN MY LOWEST MARK THIS TERM ;___;

This summer
I love rereading Harry Potter! <3 I like the freedom. I like seeing people (FINALLY). I like playing video games again. I've missed my sims. I love the weather. I like having time to play piano again. I like making stuff in Mixcraft and not feeling guilty about shirking my studying obligations. The only things I need to get back to this summer are my writing projects.

To my stalker:
Now that I know that you are okay with/like death vocals and prefer male vocalists, I have more suggestions!
I may have posted some in the past, but oh well, I forget. :P
Check them out under the cut.
(Btw, I was playing "Shalott" the other day and you're right, it's not that hard lol. It's just hard if you're trying to sing and sightread it at the same time xD)

Download/listen here
Too lazy to put it on Last.fm. I put it up now.

Kept it simple for my first Mixcraft "creation", if you can even call it that. 8 different layers, only 2 were audio tracks 'cause I'm still kinda mehhhhhh about using them. LOL took me forever just to even find the library. Think of it as instrumental demo 1 lol, I know I could make it better if I found something thinner and crisper than a high-hat and if I knew where to find some nice electronic sweep stuffs in the library D:
The opening riff (that goes throughout the song) was something I came up with last year in Music Comp. I played it on a vibes patch for some girl who liked my stuff and she said it was creepy. Of course that meant that I had to keep it for future use. :)
I want to write/adapt some lyrics for this and add some nice vocal lines. The song is overall pretty simple (3 chords, 1 inversion) so it shouldn't be hard.

But anyway, it took me like 4 hours on and off to do this LOL. Next time will be shorter and the process smoother, unless I try something even longer.

I guess this will be my studying music...?

EARLY FINAL TOMORROW AND I'M NOT READY. But I need my sleep. D:

I dislike this studying business. It messes with my head and makes me want to do other things.
Sadly when I have time to do those other things, I'm not in the mood to do them so it's like a bad cycle.

I'm just very very very glad that I'm done with Physucks. Hopefully I'm done with it forever, but there's no telling how badly I did and how the scaling's going to go.

In other news, I found my old co-worker's myspace which I remember he kept telling me to visit. He's a co-worker from HMV so we were all music geeks and I think half of us were aspiring musicians lol. It's interesting hearing the stuff he's recorded. I remember one night when it was me, him, and our (hot) assistant manager closing and this co-worker of mine was vacuuming to some stuff he wrote/recorded. It really intrigued me but I never thought to really look for him on myspace. We had some pretty interesting discussions about music composition and what it was like when he went to some sound production school where he got to see what it's like to do the sound effects for movies.
Admittedly, the vocals aren't "technically" the best in the world or anything, but there's a certain charm to it (it feels kind of punk and like underproduced alternative), but I'm impressed by the fact that he did the guitarwork too because the instrumentation sounds pretty damn good for just a small project sort of thing.

Anywho, just another day of daydreaming about doing anything but studying.

Found this power ballad today. It's by Nightwish's male vocalist's band. Piercing grey on black.