The End of 2010

Well... this is it, everyone. Over here in Pennsylvania, there's only nine more hours until everyone goes psychotic. I was never one to party or celebrate things like this, but whatever you're doing today, have fun. And Happy New Year. :)

A few posts ago, To Conclude 2010 was basically an overview of what mattered to me. I would go and reminisce on the old news on health care reform, the Tea Party, Korea, the miners in South America, and the economy in limbo... but I'm a self-centered brat. Obviously. :P

Now I will mention the bands/artists, albums, and songs that meant a lot to me this year, regardless when they came out. (I swear that I rip off of Tenebris in Lux too much...)

Bands:

1. Dommin, the boys who toured with HIM in the states this year. Probably the best performance that March night. Too bad I missed them with The Birthday Massacre in September. :'(

2. Diminished 7, the band Tenebris introduced me to.

3. Type O Negative, who lost their beloved singer and bassist. RIP, Pete.

4. Emilie Autumn, an amazing musician and singer who tested the boundary of my music preference. I hope I can get her autobiography...

5. Marilyn Manson. Don't make me re-explain why. :P

Albums:

1. Love is Gone - Dommin

2. Bloody Kisses - Type O Negative

3. Scream - Ozzy Osbourne

4. Greatest Hits 1970-1978 - Black Sabbath

5. Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice - HIM

6. Unbeautiful - Lesley Roy

7. Enchant - Emilie Autumn

Songs:

1. "My Selene" - Sonata Artica

2. "Gothic Lolita" - Emilie Autumn

3. "In the Dark" - The Birthday Massacre

4. "Trigger" - In Flames

5. "In the Arms of Rain" - HIM <- I hate lyric-only videos... *sigh*

6. "Arma-Goddamn-Motherfuckin-geddon" - Marilyn Manson

7. "In My Heaven" - Negative

8. "Love You to Death" - Type O Negative

9. "Tonight" - Dommin

10. "Años de Dolor" - To/Die/For <- sound quality is funny... :/

And the song - um... "mash-up" - that made me laugh so hard that it is an honerable mention for 2010:

'Razorblade Romance'

(CREDIT: Truely not mine. Obviously.)

My Rank: 4.3 out of 5 <- THE PINK BURNS ME EYES!

The first time I saw this album, I was ready to puke my organs out. The first listen wasn't so bad... but the nausia remained.

Yes, Razorblade Romance is obnoxious in many ways. It's bright. It's PINK. The music remindes one of eating hard candy. The love songs are so corny you want to shoot Cupid with a bazooka. And Ville Valo... WHY look so ridiculous?! The worst part is... this album is lovable.

It's like that loud class clown who does the stupidest things to get people to pay attention to his joke. But at least, the joke makes the majority of the class genuinely laugh until they cry. And no, Razorblade Romance is not that fantastic, but it's kinda hard to think badly of it.

Let's re-examine the formula this album is based on: Cliche love songs to make the females' hearts flutter? CHECK. A singer whose charisma and voice make the estrogen rise at dangerous levels? CHECK. A product whose appearance screams "Look at me!" to passerby? CHECK. A rock band that plays their instruments well enough to bring wine to make the cheese taste better? Well, a friend of mine on Pandora once commented that one of the songs off this record had badass riffs and lyrics that made vomit slightly rise to his throat. So I guess that's another CHECK.

So yeah. This record is a cocktail of [a very small amount of] goth, hard rock, love, the 80's, and glam. And a song that sounds like a rip off of Bon Jovi. ...and high fructose corn syrup.

Because listening to this is like having a really fruity, tart, and strong non-alcoholic drink at a resteraunt, Razorblade Romance should not be a first purchase for anyone interested in HIM. At least, that's just me talking. Any HIM fan I have seen as said this is the band at their peak (which is true in terms of record sales and European popularity,) but this is a wilder side of HIM I was not ready for when I was a new fan. If my one Pandora friend only listened to HIM songs off this album, he might have ran away like the plague was coming. So if you are one who doesn't like to be surprised too much... avoid this for now. Razorblade Romance is best as a second or third HIM purchase.

Some highlights I'd like to name are "Razorblade Kiss," "Death Is in Love with Us," "Join Me in Death," and "Right Here in My Arms." The singles are definately worth checking out though... but prepared for the look of "Join Me in Death..." that one is... interesting.

If you ask me, this is the HIM album I listen to the LEAST. I love it, since I love each record almost equally, but this is not one I would talk too much about. It's like a place I'd only visit every once in a while, but my mind is too preoccupied by other things. When life gets too busy, sometimes I need that insane clown to scream, "LOOK AT ME, FANGIRL!!!" for me to laugh for a while...

'Little Fockers'

(CREDIT: to the owner... obviously.)

My Rank = 3/5 <-- a good laugh

Yesterday was a great birthday. The Nostalgia Critic made a hilarious Christmas special, I stole a cookie from one of my friends (long story), and my mom and friends from church took me to dinner and saw Little Fockers. So many laughs in such a short day.

I admit that I never watched Meet the Parents or Meet the Fockers, so I can't say if this serves the prequels justice, but man, this film was cool. Maybe I liked it so much because I didn't expect too much from it in the first place. Comedy is a hit-or-miss that I take very seriously, and my problem with the genre mostly lies in execution of wit and laughs. As for stupid humor, like the stuff Will Ferrell does... don't be shocked if I turn down the opportunity to see it. Perhaps it's my subconscious taking revenge on the world for never understanding the dry humor my family and friends love me for. But thankfully this film left me laughing over a scene even a minute after it ended. As I walked out of the film, I was still laughing. This film deserves a gold star for it, because this is a rarity.

The film is basically family drama that most of us can relate to, and all hell breaks loose when Robert DeNiro's character names Greg Focker (Stiller) the head of the entire family (giving away the title will ruin one of the funniest jokes.) From syringes, pits, animals, eastern wisdom, and misunderstandings... I say that the movie executed jokes well.

However, that's the only field that did justice. The plot was fairly weak and some plot holes were left uncovered. The each character had one dynamic trait that separated them from the others, but they were two-dimensional. The kids, which I assume gave the film its name, barely had to do with the story on a microcosmic level. In a way, Little Fockers is a misnomer.

Overall, the movie proved itself better than I hoped comically, though lacked in plot. My mom said that it's predecessors are much better, and I'm curious to see if the others are funnier. Despite that, I recommend it, even if you are curious.

So... I wonder if Netflix has Meet the Parents as an instant watch...

To Conclude 2010...

And of course, credit to owners. (Hopefully I won't die. lol)

It's hard to believe that the year went by so quickly; and that so much can happen in such a small amount of time. I have decided to make one or two more posts on my overview of this year... on things important to me. Melanie Light is such a self-centered witch, thank you. :P

Some Memorable Mentions:

One Year, Ten Months, and Eight Days Later...

I was never one to love a particular band or artist above all else for years. All sorts of music can sound enjoyable to my ears, and once I found one thing amazing, something better will ultimately come around. That's how HIM ended Evanescence's two-year claim to the throne. Even if another come around and rises up to them, I hope I don't discard HIM just as I have done to some other bands I used to listen to so much (like Lacuna Coil and Breaking Benjamin... *sniff*). But for now, HIM has reigned for one year, ten months, and eight days...

Meanwhile, I wonder if the fanbase has chilled a bit...

Freddy!!!!!

Last month's Marilyn Manson post received more views than I expected, and it's great that it was a rant not wasted. In a dying year when we think back on what we received, I'm thankful I had the chance to learn more about the fearfully awesome double M. Clicky to read my lovely post on him. :)

PS - Tenebris In Lux, I'd love to read your post about your take on Marilyn Manson, especially when you're more of a fan than I am. Haha! And here's the link to where I found this picture. :)

Not Quite Under a Rock Anymore

Although my visits to Pandora Internet Radio have waned dramatically this year, I was still around to hear of the three pop stars that make my skin crawl: GaGa, Kesha, and the Beaver. While roaming around thatguywiththeglasses.com, a hilariously fun site with great ranters of all kinds, I found Todd In the Shadows. He calls himself a "popologist" and reviews the latest disasters, annoyances, and piles of dung from the hottest artists. And he's hilarious about it. I might still not listen to pop music, at least I can take a peak from under the rock. Who knows, maybe I can learn to appreciate the genre again. If you love it or not, I highly recommend viewing his latest videos on thatguywiththeglasses.com or his older videos on his Youtube channel. :)

Deaths in the Heavy Metal Family

Damn, death sucks. This was a pretty sad [and kinda scary] year for heavy metal. Though I never really was a fan or real listener to the bands these guys played in, it still hit me hard, since I was familiar with the names of them or their bands.

• Pete Steele of Type O Negative (pictured above). Just when I got to enjoy Type O Negative's music on Pandora, three days later, bassist and singer Pete Steele died. I can't really explain how upset and annoyed I was when I heard of it. To start to like a band and lose all hopes of possibly going to a concert of theirs.... depressing.

• Paul Gray of Slipknot. I never really liked this band, but playing "Before I Forget" on Guitar Hero III was always really fun. From my experiences, Slipknot was the poster for a heavy metal band with obnoxious, prideful, and rude fans. Oh well. I still felt really bad for them and refrained from commenting on the Slipknot page on Pandora.

• "The Rev" from Avenged Sevenfold. Another band I never tried out, but recognized the name. Death is not something I take lightly, even for deaths of people I never heard of. So like Paul Gray, I can't say much about James Sullivan and his band, but I hold regard to their mourning fans.

• Ronnie James Dio. A legend. DEAD. The best I could do was look up videos on his funeral, especially when Metal Hammer mentioned that the Westboro Baptist Church was planning to picket it. Thankfully nothing stupid or insane came from it, but those "God Hates Fags" people really had no respect for the death of a man. All they seemed to say was, "Thank God that Satan-worshipper is burning in hell right now!" Morons.

Maybe one or two others passed on, but these four left a mark for me in some small way. But all others who died are no less important.

People to People 2010

I never had the time to post pictures or write about my experience, but maybe sometime next year. I SWEAR.

But to keep it short, it was a fantastic trip. Ireland was beautifully green and calm; Wales could have been better, but some locals insulted us in Welsh ^^'; England, hands down, was the best, especially London (if only my camera didn't malfunction...); France had wonderful bread... and hot chocolate; Belgium and Holland were short stops, but both countries were lovely. :)

December 23 Is My Seventeenth Birthday And...

... I still don't have my driver's permit. XD

High School Is Over Half-Way Completed

Junior year is tough, but at least college is not too far off... (speaking of which, oh God. Where am I going?!) As much as I love my friends there, I really dislike the "new school" more than I usually detest school in general. So don't be surprised if I have a religion rant similar to what I had over a week ago. At least from there, I can find new topics to rant about. :)

Eight Months of Blogging?! WHOOT!!!!

It seemed it was only yesterday when I wanted to start a blog...

Rants From a Fangirl is all about me writing about whatever I want, whenever I want. No matter what I will excel at in a future career, my creativity in drawing or writing will always be my backup plan. So until that day comes, pruning and refining these skills while I can will always count. I might not be in an AP Literature class yet, but this will be good practice.

Say I suck at writing and you shall die... or maybe I'll weep and try better next time. >:P

Though it's early, Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it, Happy Holidays to everyone else, and Happy New Year to all! :)

- Melanie~"Fangirl"~Light

My Art

(FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!!!!!!! Credit goes to MOI!!!!!! XD)

I just finished a piece that's due tomorrow for my Studio Art 1 class. Procrastination is a demon I still must defeat, but it hasn't destroyed my soul yet. ;) We were given three weeks to work on it; I drew this both last night and a few minutes ago.

I'm proud that though I do complain a bit, I have some form of artistic talent. Looks like I need to use it more often. :P

Photo piece is based on:

If anyone comments, say nothing mean, or else you die. XD

'SWRMXS'

(CREDIT: to the genius who smashed a VHS tape with a hammer on his kitchen floor. XD)

My Rank: 3.5 out of 5 <- what a relief

Please excuse my fowl mouth for a moment, but this remix album scared the living shit out of me. Ever since heartagram.com made an announcement about this in November, the whole HIM fanbase went batshit insane. People spent time making conspiracy theories about the cover image, complaining that HIM is - heaven forbid -releasing A THIRD remix compilation, blaming Warner for the failure of Screamworks, and detoxing from the very short tour the band had this era. Once the bonfire spread, I forced myself off Valo Daily and other HIM sites until the maelstrom died down. Even now, I'm still unwilling to go back for the time being.

IT'S JUST A REMIX ALBUM. WHAT'S WITH THE DRAMA, FOLKS?!

Well, in my world, at least it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

When I first heard the sample on the "splash" page that the banner here lead to, I couldn't help but laugh at the hilarity of the "In Venere Veritas" remix. It wasn't in a bad way, since it happens every time I listen to a new HIM record; there is one track that makes me giggle, like laughing at a friend just being himself. The remix was just... HIM in their own way. But it didn't take from the fact that the track lowered my expectations of SWRMXS from "OMG!!!!!" to "eh". I don't listen to many remixes (the Dope Stars Inc.'s mix of Emilie Autumn's "Dead Is the New Alive" is the only one I can recall enjoying) and hearing "In Venere Veritas (Huoratron Remix)" made me have doubts about how the others would sound... Thankfully, most of them were much better.

When you listen to music, do you create a world within your mind to complement it? It's like reading a book and imagining the scenes so the words on the page become something more real and understandable. In a similar fashion, I already had an "established" imagination for each song and the remixes expanded them and added another dimension. It is especially true for "In the Arms of Rain (SALEM Remix)," "Ode to Solitude (Gavin Russom Remix),"and "Love, The Hardest Way (Tiësto Remix)," which are some of the best off SWRMXS.

And as excited as I was for "Heartkiller (The Mercy Fvcks Remix)"... I wasn't expecting it to be so hilariously, and crazily fun. XD (Man, when will The Mercy Fvcks make music already?!)

But of course, there are good bit of downsides to this. Some of the remixes are too long, while the original songs are too short; SWRMXS is nearly twenty minutes longer than Sreamworks. This made me a bit curious... Some remixes made their counterparts look really lame ("Love, the Hardest Way",) others did no improvement ("Shatter Me with Hope",) and some remixes are just embarrassing ("Like St. Valentine/Acoustic Funeral/Katherine Wheel.")

To give this a 3 is unfair, but a 4 is too much, so this rests in the middle. SWRMXS was a great effort Ville made while the other boys work on their side projects, and I'm thankful he did this. Who knows, maybe in two weeks I'll love this more, or I'll downright loathe it. But for now, it's all I'm listening to every night.

Hey, the bright side is that if I end up hating this remix album, at least I got a free t-shirt from pre-ordering. XD

'Eat Me, Drink Me'

(CREDIT: to the rightful owner or else this guy will kill me... o_O lol)

My Rank: 2.6 out of 5 <- just meh... :/

Although lately I am still screaming longer and louder praises to the double M, to be blunt, this album was a reason why I wasn't into him until now. I am still beating myself for this being my first Marilyn Manson purchase. REALLY BAD MISTAKE.

I liked it when I bought it. A combination of industrial and alternative rock into a dark, twisted gloom. Pretty sweet. But all that was missing was the very thing that Marilyn Manson was good at. Having a bark so obnoxious (not in a bad way) that makes most people believe the bite is just as deadly. This album left me thinking, "Well, that's not so scary. It's fun, but it's not that aggressive."

Due to the lack of research back then, I had no clue that this record was made by Manson and Tim Skold. Then and there, I got not one band member that every fan talked about. Especially Twiggy. No Twiggy. But that's what I get for being an ignorant newbie at the time. But yet, I didn't want to buy the most esteemed album just in case it was the most overrated thing I ever heard. That's why you have to pick your battles. It's a shame I lost this one, but at least I got to the goal a few months later.

Really, the material on this record is pretty slow and bleak that I vaguely remember some of the songs. "Putting Holes in Happiness" was a great song (unlike the music video...) as well as "You and Me and the Devil Makes Three," "If I Was Your Vampire," and "Heart-Shaped Glasses" (again, not very enjoyable video.) But don't go by my word; I'm still no Marilyn Manson know-it-all AND I can't remember the last time I listened to this whole record.

Fore sure, make this one of the last MM purchases. Hopefully I get another of his albums this Christmas and I'm not as disappointed. Though I still feel sad giving this album a rank around that of Linkin Park's "The Catalyst." At least this record wasn't pointless and obnoxious like that song.

The moral of this story: make a well-thoughtout decision before purchasing. If nothing works, always buy the greatest hits compilation...

'Enchant'

(CREDIT: to the obvious folks. not me for sure. ^_^)

My Rank: 5 out of 5 <- a lifesaver

Finally, I get to write a review about one of my favorite musicians of all time so far! (That was oxymoronic, wasn't it? ^_^')

This album saved my life last year. I was taking Honors Chemistry and struggling to get a decent grade on [what seemed to be] simple homework and long lab reports. Most times, I chilled on my bed and wrote out my recitations while Enchant played at top volume from my headphones, lying next to me. Sometimes she played during lab report nights, but frustration told me to blast a few Marilyn Manson tracks (I was experimenting with his stuff back then.) HIM would never cut it because I would get far too distracted by the desire to look up interviews.

Maybe I'm too attached to this album because it helped me so much in the hardest class I had ever taken in my school career up to this point. But this was perfect enough for me to focus on my work and not suffer a massive breakdown.

I can't fully describe what kind of music Emilie Autumn makes. She's crazy enough for a rock fan, upbeat and electronic like today's pop music, but adds a punch with amazing performances with violins, pianos, and harpsichords. Her voice isn't too bad as well. Opheliac clearly has these elements, plus a good overdose of asylum-esque insanity, but Enchant is different. This is a calmer, sweeter Emilie Autumn ("Across the Sky," "Juliet," "Save You") but still having a bit of spunk ("Chambermaid," "Rose Red," "Secondhand Faith").

Like every album, two or so songs aren't so fantastic here, but they never took away the experience of this album. This semi-metalhead willingly and happily accepted this short vacation from headbanging, aggressive screams, and guitar solos. I really can't explain how much this album has captured me. A trip down memory lane, when I used to thought fairy tales were not so embarrassing to dream of ("Juliet" did this to me for sure)? Now that I am no longer in Chemistry, I haven't listened to Enchant in its entirety in a while. Emilie Autumn, thank you for this masterpiece, this lifesaver.

Pandora Internet Radio says that fans of The Birthday Massacre, Evanescence, Within Temptation, and Epica. If you like female singers like Amy Lee, Sharon den Andel, Simone Simons, or other similar chicks in rock and metal, you might like Emilie. The Birthday Massacre is only similar due to slight gothic atmosphere, electronic influence, and their singer Chibi. Otherwise, this can be debated. These comparisons can be useful for Opheliac, but Enchant sounds too "folky."

I highly recommend Emilie Autumn as an artist to give a try. Opheliac and Enchant are brilliant, so it doesn't matter what you go by. But note that this is a rare time I will advise DOWNLOADING the albums. ESPECIALLY Enchant, because physical CDs are out of print. Have fun. :P

You know, why am I sitting and listening to Type O Negative right now?! *grabs iPod to look up Enchant...*

Layout Finalized

Because of all the crap I have here, it's been hard to layout everything work out and fit. Sadly, the entries look too long and intimidating. :/

Feedback is welcome. :)

And yes, the background will be permanent for a while.

The Rant That Will Truly Lose Blog Viewers...

Normally, accepting that everyone holds different ideas and values doesn't come as a struggle for me... in theory. As you might be aware by now (or it's quite obvious,) I am a stubborn human being with strong opinions. But for the most part, if I argue with someone, I will weasel myself out because I don't want to be offensive or make a fool of my own statements. That's why I prefer to write down my views so they are expressed as clearly as I can without someone interrupting me. But that technique would fail in a formal debate...

Once again I did that today. I brought something up with my friend; a kid next to me starting talking about it; and the conversation got pretty (more like really) red-hot. I forced myself to finally say "I don't know" just to drop the subject for good. At least from that, I realized I was right about one assumption all along.

As long as I'm different from the crowd, I will be alone but I have to coexist by causing as few problems possible.

NOTE: I do NOT hate anyone of any side of the political or religious spectrum. Both the left and right have their faults. This is a rant that has no intention whatsoever of causing offense to person; deciding to disown me as an online friend; OR starting any fiery debates. We get enough drama in American Politics.

It's incredibly tough going to a Catholic High School. No, a conservative Catholic High School. The environment is stifling, so far on the one extreme that anyone slightly away from it is looked down upon. There is almost an insincerity in how people express and present themselves. Plus, it doesn't help that the area I live in, one hour away from Philadelphia, is so rural that it has a small town essence. Everyone knows each other.

The fact that I never lived in one place longer than three years has probably fed my desire to travel and be on the move. As of August this year, I have been living in Pennsylvania for seven, long, restless years. It took me four or five to make the friends I have now. Ever since I've been here, I was the strange kid no one has ever seen before; the loner who is weird and has problems; the quiet one who hates people; the girl who must be a lesbian because no boy acknowledges her existence. I'm saying this to paint the scene; I don't expect any sympathy since I know that's how things were [and still are] and I accept that fact.

Despite my social issues that continue to persist, my biggest obstacle right now is religion. I was born and raised a Catholic, though my parents never seriously practiced. For a while, I didn't mind the fact I had religion classes in a Catholic school; it was mandatory and perfectly fine. But when the school had guests show explicit videos on anti-abortion, things started not to click with my thought process and what I was taught. My parents have always been supportive and didn't care what I believed, but my school expected that all who attended were Catholics.

But as I left my grade school and went to high school, the way religion was taught grew more and more strict and absolute. (Wouldn't it be the opposite since teenagers can think more independently than children?) My first high school wasn't too bad since my two religion teachers were cool. One of them actually encouraged reasoning and explained WHY things were a certain way (with sources other than the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.) But once the school closed and fused with another, this school year has been hell. My current class is quite similar to how Dolores Umbridge treated her Defense Against the Dark Arts classes in Harry Potter 5.

Now, back onto what happened today. In religion class, my teacher showed two videos that he flipped out about and sent the class in an uproar (NOTE: I was facepalming the whole time.) A news story said that a group of atheists spent about $20,000 on a billboard sign in New Jersey saying something around the lines of:

"Christmas is a myth. Celebrate the season with reason."

In anger, Christians put up a billboard saying:

"Christmas is real. Celebrate Jesus."

As much as I believe in freedom of speech and expression... was it necessary for Christians to react over ONE SIGN? I understand one would be angry, but really? Every meager dollar bill say "In God We Trust" and our pledge of allegiance has "...one nation over God," and do atheists go all out on controversy? The difference here is that those things are everywhere. But. This. Is. Just. One. Sign! THERE ARE WORSE THINGS! But did the atheists make a smart move? If the message didn't come out so harshly, then maybe, maybe not. I think they had the right to do it, and I give that minority group credit for standing up to the majority.

My teacher argued that the atheists wasted money on a pointless sign. But didn't the Christians do the exact same thing? Pay money to raise the volume of their own voices up?

As for the argument I avoided? The boy said how angry he was by it and that how atheists believe in nothing and have far less proof than Christians do. I weaseled out... because I consider myself an agnostic atheist.

I don't believe in Christianity anymore because nothing clicked with me anymore. The basic laws of how to treat others and the concept of a higher being didn't seem too different to any other religion. The environment of "everything is black or white" set me off. Life is not that easy. If life was black or white, the abortion, contraception, abstinence, gay/lesbian/bi/transgender, and priest pedophilia issues would have ended already. There would only be one true religion. Life would be boring if there was no "grey," no uncertainty, no doubts.

The bottom line is, I have found some truth in everything I hear. I have found no absolute right answer to the big questions.

It took me a few years to think things through, but I am now coming to terms that I am still in a questioning phase in my life. But for now, I don't believe any description of a higher being has convinced me that it is true. Whatever created us, I have no idea. Why we are as we are, I have no idea. And if I am never to know the answer, than so be it. I would rather live life as I have accepted to be right and die happy. If life is a roller coaster that ends unfinished above a deep, endless pit of nothingness, let me enjoy the ride while I still can.

If no other "non-believers" or atheists think like I do, then oh well. This is what I believe. And I wasn't going to say it to that boy, or else he's treat me as if I'm a stereotypical God-denier, despairing lone soul, or a delusional girl who will die an old maid. That was a war I wasn't going to fight. But on the last day of senior year, I might go onto the intercom system and announce that I'm a non-believer. That'd be a joy comparable as to saying "SO LONG, PAST LIFE! I AM FINALLY FREE!"

I will not be surprised if anyone was offended by what I have written. But know that if my friends read this, don't think that I deeply resent believers of any faith. I disagree with how religions function and what they believe (I'm surprised my friends haven't duck-taped my opinionated mouth shut yet...) but I don't hold grudges against people because they support it. Being intentionally unreasonable, forceful, and hateful on the other hand... are things I really hate. :)

So one would ask me: Fangirl, after this long bitch-rant, why continue to go to a Catholic High School?

I have three reasons:

1. Public school destroyed the happy kid I once was. I entered smiling and friendly and left depressed andreserved. If i do go to public school, I would have to go to one in an area that is deemed "backwards" and having "racial issues." This is my only option, a lesser of two evils.
2. If I leave high school now, senior year will be tough. I need to readapt to a group of kids that have known each other since... freshman year. Plus, academic awards would be extremely hard for me to even possibly obtain.
3. The biggest reason of all. My friends are there. The three friends who tolerate my odd, annoying self. The friends who listen to my problems, and I listen back. The friends who don't care that I don't follow the crowd. The friends who I finally can spend hours on the phone with. And the friends who tease me to pluck my eyebrows and get my drivers permit.

This rant is much longer than I anticipated... hopefully I don't get any hate messages... o_O

I conclude with this:

Believe what you want as long as you are happy. Know what is true to you and cherish it. And pick your battles. So head to a stranger's house and say, "So, what about them crazy politicians?" "Have you heard the latest religion/atheist controversy?"

And I hope you all have no injuries on the battlefield. :D

December Update

Christmas, New Years, and all the other holidays are on the way. Man, the wait sure did take forever! 2010 felt so long...

I was on Valo Daily just recently and a good number of the members were complaining or joking about the amount of snow they were getting in their countries. Tempted to cry, I felt jealous because the only snow we got in good ol' Pennsylvania was washed away by rain. That was the only time I hate rain. :'( So I keep my finger crossed for at least one snow day (preferably Valentine's Day because that holiday is troublesome. :P)

This month is obviously hectic because everyone celebrates the holidays and shops for goodies to give and all that jazz. School procrastinates by overloading the tests at in the middle of the second quarter (it's that time already?!) So for this month, I'll deal with reviews, like usual, and I might writeabout what I'm thankful for during this wonderful time of the year.

While I'm at it, I should probably put my Christmas music back on my iPod. Aw... looks like I got to cut back aggressive, shocking music. Just when I was starting to love Marilyn Manson too... T-T

Wow...

I found this video on Youtube a few hours ago, and it moves me a bit. One step closer to being a fan of his, I guess. :)

Embed Code not available, so clicky the link.

Marilyn Manson Talks About Religion

'Out of the Dark'

(CREDIT to owner, for it is not mine.)
My Rank : 4.5 out of 5 <- cheesy sometimes, but still amazing

For a band I found out of the blue a while back, I think I got lucky. Back when I wanted to buy a Negative album on Amazon (and got depressed by the insanely high price), the suggestions section listed this album. So what the heck, I clicked the link to read more about them and try out a few song previews. Next, I looked them up on Youtube and enjoyed "Undying Dreams" so much that I HAD to buy this album. Again, I was lucky that I found a good band.

This is probably one of the best albums I got as a Christmas gift. This album is immature since it being the first album; but like Evanescence's Origin, Breaking Benjamin's Saturate, and Three Days Grace's self-titled, Out of the Dark is cheesy and awkward in some places, but the flow remains and keeps you interested. In fact, I find this album better than the three mentioned.

The songs flow from one to another fairly well, the lyrics are well written, the mood fits my dark soul nicely, and it's an almost-solid rock album. The guitars are impressive (and by my standards, that means they are superior that Epica's repetitive mess pre-Design Your Universe,) the keyboards are really cool (especially in "Rainheart," which gave me a "wtf?!" moment that few bands can do,) and I enjoy Juha Kylmänen's voice very much. Maybe I like Out of the Dark so much because it reminds me of HIM in many ways, but that doesn't matter too much since I don't get any hints of Reflexion stealing anything. If the music sounds good, listen to it. ^_^

The mood is gothic and dark, but not so much that it's Dommin or Diminished 7 dark. This is the dark that HIM and some of the 69 Eyes do quite well. Scandinavian melancholy, perhaps? Essentially goth wouldn't be the best label for Out of the Dark, but such fans would enjoy it if you won't mind more rock. If this appeals to you, check them out at least. Even if you're just a rock fan, this is still a high recommendation to you. A fan of HIM (Greatest Lovesongs or Love Metal era), perhaps? This is a definite "give it a go" as well.

My next goal: buy Dead to the Past, Blind for Tomorrow and Edge...

Winter Is Near! :D

Warm beds with thick covers and fuzzy blankets, fireplaces, hot chocolate and hot tea, sweatshirts, sleeves, pants, boots, scarves; ah, I love the cold. Being trapped indoors all the time can get kinda depressing, but the view of the outside world is beautiful, especially when it snows! I feel even better knowing that Thanksgiving and Christmas start this wonderful time off. :)

Today, I'm in a rather good mood. I woke up to light snow, and just when it started to stick, the precipitation meted into rain. At least the clouds are still look light and fluffy. :) Also, the house currently smells of fresh baked apple pie. Forget Thanksgiving dinner, I want to eat the desert up right now! :D

The last happy thing has to be this wonderful video below. This beauty is the cherry on top for me. :)

HIM "Dying Song" Online Video from Eugene Riecansky on Vimeo.

Remember to be thankful for everything you have today, no matter where you live.

Have a happy day. ^_^

*Fangirl Squeal*

WARNING: FANGIRL HAS RUN LOOSE!

(and pics aren't mine. CREDIT to owners. ^_^)

Two amazing great things happened today and I'm surprised I haven't screamed at the top of my lungs yet. (Its scare my cats anyway...)

First...

Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys IS OUT!!!!! I am tempted to run out and buy it, but the price would be kinda high. No wait... that's iTunes. $14.00?!?! Does the economy suck THAT bad? What happened to the days of coughing up $10.00 on average?!

But second, and truly above that (no offense MCR)...:

Hyvää syntymäpäivää, Ville Valo!(What did you expect from a HIM fangirl?!) Because birthdays are always superior to album releases. Sorry, My Chemical Romance!

Since it's already... the next day in Helsinki, I send my virtual birthday hug to the amazing singer in my favorite band. Can't wait for more random surprises from HIM. ^_^

And my all-time favorite...

Got a headache yet? XD

Fangirl and the Death of Her Childhood...

...just kidding...

(CREDITS: to the owner. not mine, obviously.)

My Rank: 4.75 out of 5 <- THE FILM SERIES HAS BEEN REDEEMED!!!!!!!

If any Harry Potter fans have read my last entry and want to shoot me, please do not because I have not added my two cents about the first part of this film! It will be a long eight or so months before we finally weep until we die of dehydration. I want to be a part of that group thank you! Anyway, this is it.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One.

Part One of the End of My Childhood is more like it...

After seeing it twice already - *dodges thrown objects* - with my friends at midnight and my dad earlier today, I think I can easily make a more sturdy opinion since now the excitement has worn down. For the most part, this film left me wonderfully satisfied. The Harry Potter I grew up with remained intact with no disappointment. The casting is, and has always been, superb; actors were phenomenally top-notch; and the world was perfectly real... except the train.

The film has some flaws due to some altered scenes (though fairly minor) and just by the obvious fact that no one can fully recreate the world from the books to a film adaptation. Even Lord of the Rings couldn't do it. Nothing bothered me except the Hogwarts Express. I understand that the Death Eater stood in from of it to slow it down, but the train appeared to be moving at five miles per hour. It's not a huge concern and maybe it's just me, but whatever.

From my perspective, even from the first viewing, the movie went at a faster pace than the previous films. This lasted two-and-a-half hours and nothing slowed down to the point of boredom for me. Though that might be because I'm such a huge fan anyway. But for some odd reason, despite that the camping time took at least 60% of the movie, everything was put together well enough for the pacing to be just right.

What I find ironic is that David Yates, who directed this amazing adaptation, is the same guy who screwed up the last two Harry Potter movies. From my friends and others, people had more problems with The Order of the Phoenix because so much plot was removed and re-editted from the 750-800+ paged book. But honestly, The Half-Blood Prince was far worse due to the complete emphasis of the romances between the characters and the lack of attention to the plot. Thankfully, I won't kill David Yates - yet - after making DHP1 so accurate to the parts taken from the novel.

Obviously the film is very dark, serious, and dreary, but comic relief is not a stranger. Everyone at the midnight showing roared with laughter; the audience today laughed as well. Even my dad, who never read the books but seen every film to date, laughed quite a bit. Best of all, he never fell asleep (the years in the military did that to him.)

Best parts? The Seven Harrys; George "snooping in;" the Ministry of Magic; and Dobby (that all by itself is making me laugh right now). I won't spoil everything else. XD

At this point, you're either a Harry Potter fan or not. Or at least, you like the story from the films or books or not. So honestly, WATCH IT. Any person who happens to read this and never gave the series a try and want to... read the books, or catch up on the other films. Just as a warning, you have to wait until July 2011 for the final part. I'm very annoyed by this, but on the other hand, I have eight months to enjoy my childhood while it still lasts.

It seems it was only yesterday when I went to see Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in November of 2001. Nine years later, I just watched half of the seventh and final film. Excuse me as I run to my battered and old Harry Potter books and cry...

Update: The End of My Childhood

2010 has been a really bad year for me when it comes to entertainment in general. Lady GaGa is still big for no reason, Justina Beaver has his own stupid book and documentary, great heavy metal legend Ronnie James Dio died, and the summer movies. Yes, that last part is self-descriptive. Other than Inception and Toy Story 3, both of which I did see, the season brought horrifically bland films. Since there less than a month and a half left, it makes me wonder what will the future bring? Only one thing for me is absolute: July 15, 2011, also known as the final blow made on my childhood.

As a fan for almost ten years, I am depressed that the end is so near. Just the thought of the film adaptation of my favorite series ending makes the hair on my head begin to grey.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

I saw the midnight showing of Part One with three friends, and it was fantastic. Though there is time to do so now, I have decided to wait until tomorrow to make my review of this film. My dad really wanted to see it, and I'd love to laugh and cry through it again. It was that good.

Plus if I remain in the Harry Potter fangirl mode for a while, I might do another loooooooong rant. Bet y'all love those, eh? :P

In the meantime have a great weekend. And if you go to the movies, stay alive! It's not Black Friday yet! :)

'A Thousand Suns'

(CREDIT: to owner, who is not me.)

My Rank = 0.5/5
Shamefully, Horribly, Irritatingly Terrible

Beware of my wrath. This review is much more immature than I ever have been here. How can I begin to review the quality of an album that I have SEVERELY miscalculated? How could it be far worse than I predicted?

I am sorry to everyone who likes Linkin Park and this album. I am sorry to my one good friend who is probably tired of me complaining about this. But to be blunt, for Linkin Park... THIS ALBUM SUCKS. Don't get me wrong, the messages in the lyrics aren't bad, so I refuse to bash their meanings. Even some of the recordings in the tracks are decent. HOWEVER. The sound is still horribly slow and boring.

Because I am too lazy to write an entire paragraph on this, here are the cons:

- Every song has the same piano riff used over and over again...

- Every song is so damn repetitive, this makes Lady GaGa sound versatile.

- You have no clue where the verse ends and the chorus begins ("Robot Boy" and "Burning in the Skies" are perfect examples.)

- What kind of album has TWO INSTRUMENTAL TRACKS to start off?!

- "The Catalyst" still bores the hell out of me. The second single, "Waiting for the End," is much stronger, but still mediocre; however, it should have been the first single.

- This album makes me take back insults I had for Minutes to Midnight

- There is just a total lack of motivation. They clearly have a message to give us, but they fail to execute it enough to make one care enough to listen.

To add something else, in "Blackout" Chester screams and raps... my feelings of happiness and disgust have canceled each other out. And again, the whole thing sounds very sloppy. Because I know nothing about music, I'm not sure if the producer or mixer should have been fired for performing such a sloppy job. Or maybe it's the band to blame.

However, there are a few pros. "Wretches and Kings" sounds like the Linkin Park I used to know and love: fairly intense instrumentals, Mike's rapping, Chester's screaming, and Joe Hahn's turntables. Also, if I could use the MP3 Trimmer application on my computer, I would reedit one decent song on this album: "When They Come for Me." FINALLY MIKE SHINODA IS RAPPING AGAIN!!!! But the song is far too long with the too lengthy outro after the final chorus.

The first time I heard this album, I had to stop in the middle of "Robot Boy" and walk away from my computer. I refused to give the album another try until now to review it. That was a two month time gap. But wow. I can't say I wasn't expecting the album to bring my view of Linkin Park to fall, but I wasn't expecting it to go down so fast in less than fifty minutes. This does not sound like a rock act anymore; it sounds like a psudo-electronic pop-rap-rock album. What a scattered mess.

As of now, I still love Meteora and Hybrid Theory, but this album shatters my hopes for this band. I have grabbed a lifeboat and left the ship that is continuing to sink. I wish Linkin Park and their fans the best, but I can't join them on the journey anymore. This is embarrassing...

'Believe (II)'

(CREDIT: goes to owner, which is not me.)

My Rank: 3.75 out of 5 <-- ah, nostalgia...

Once you're exposed to something, it's almost impossible to fully get rid of it. Because of that, I'm slowly standing down from my position of bashing every pop act in existence. Though I still find Kesha (I refuse to add that stupid dollar sign) and Justin Beiber to be utterly embarrassing to all music everywhere, pop rock remains to be fairly tolerable. Or in this case, very enjoyable. Rock-driven pop always appealed to me, and chicks with guitars are no exception. Even Orianthi.

I won't go preaching pure blasphemy against bands I listen to a lot, but Orianthi's guitar playing makes a few others sound look like children playing Guitar Hero on easy. Not to say she's the best guitarist ever, but it makes me wonder if SOME BAND I KNOW would fire their guys and hire her. *cEoPuIgChAs* Sometimes it gets annoying that I have to hear a solo on every track, but they're not half bad. I think of it as a break from Deathstars or Breaking Benjamin's lack of guitar solos.

Granted, her songwriting doesn't impress me too much, but the lyrics are fairly decent. Can't expect too much from pop rock, folks.

In terms of singing, she's better than a good chunk of the pop-rock singers I used to love, and I indulge in sometimes. Smoother and less shriek-y than Avril, and more mellow and way more "restrained" in language than P!nk. Though not guilty of it, I'm fully aware that metal heads would laugh at me and dismiss me as one of them.

I really don't know what to say about this, but after a few decent listens, this album gets a safe 3.75. A few tracks I love are "Courage," "Suffocated," her cover of "Missing You," and the totally epic "Highly Strung." I strongly recommend "Highly Strung" (though maybe the title is far too corny...)

Maybe once I think of reviewing Unbeautiful, I might have a longer post...

A Hug to My Personal Freddy Krueger

Over the past year or so, Pandora has played so much music for me that I am unable to healthily expand my taste. Thousands of pieces of wrapped chocolate with no names rain from the sky and I miss out on those that don't fall into my pint-sized bucket. There is so much music to check out, but there is not enough time. However, there are times like this when someone spends time discussing a band or musician he/she enjoys. As Halloween drew near, the Distressed Watcher on thatguywiththeglasses.com did just that while summoning a very familiar boogyman. In fact, thanks to my Pandora friends (Tenebris in Lux especially) and DW's video that boogyman doesn't frighten me so much anymore.

Who or what could I possibly be talking about? The musician that upset adults of the left and right, parents of children, fellow kids of mine as well as the generation before me. The one whose music was accussed of "corrupting" the minds of the boys behind the Colombine High School shooting. The one whose band was banned from performing in some states.

Goodnight. Sleep tight. Don't let the Antichrist Superstar get you.

Actually, this looks more hilarious than scary.

I'm not sure if anyone my age ever has seen Marilyn Manson's happy, cheery face that brought lovely, sweet dreams (what a bad pun -_-) to children and teenagers. I do not have any notable early memories of being scared of him (only time I know for sure was back in 2007), but I know I heard the name more than seen the image. All I was told that he was creepy. Bad news. Controversial. Even satanic. And like the good child I was, I feared Marilyn Manson because people were scared of him and expected me to feel the same. No reason, just irrational ignorance and fear.

As I grew older, I started to question and find my own answers to things that didn't make sense to me. Religious views and perspectives, political nonsense, and the nature of fans of etertainment as a whole. Inevitably, Marilyn Manson must have been destined to be my next target.

Why did people fear him? Why do some STILL fear him? How did I see him as an object of fear that adults painted for me? Why should I still be scared of him?

It's been taking over a year, but compared to me as a kid, I practically love this guy and his music. I finally burst out of my comfort zone and gave Marilyn Manson a chance. Lo and behold! I have such a greater appreciation of him as an artist. Don't get me wrong, I'm not into him like how I am with HIM (damn these puns!), but I'll be shocked if another year goes by and I still don't call myself a fan.

Minus the temporarily missing eyebrows, he doesn't look too creepy to me.

Does he still creep me out? Oh yeah, quite a bit. But I wholeheartedly no longer see a reason to FEAR him. Keep him from children? Because of his literature and cultural references, definitely (that's more research time for me.) Say that he poisons minds into killing others? That's pretty stupid. Saying he's the devil? That's worse. His image is as insane as his music, but Mans - oops, should I say - Brian Warner is a human being with an art you may like, hate, or not give a crap about. Feel free to disagree.

We all have childhood ghosts as well as Freddy Kruegers. The question is, when and are you ready to let them go? I am in this phase right now. But for the last question: HOW will you let go? Hug it? Kill it? Do something because ignoring ghosts is like leaving a bomb to detonate right on your lap.

Again, thanks to Tenebris and Schweinwerfer-sempai, my music buddies, and the Distressed Watcher's enjoyable video. Without them, I wouldn't have wasted over two hours of my life watching his music videos in one school night. Mom wasn't happy... XD

November Update

HELLO!!!!!!!

Hopefully you all had a great Halloween, weither you dressed up, ate candy, watched scary movies, or played fun music. (Hope your short Halloween shift was fun, Tenebris. :P)

I didn't trick or treat this year, but I did dress up completely in black, minus my Halloween spider scarf. Black spider shirt, black pants, combat boots, HIM gloves, black mask, and a witch hat. Everyone at my church liked my effort. Even my best friend laughed hysterically at me. XD
So all I did was watch Final Destination (the first one) with my best friend, who hates thriller/horror films, and her boyfriend. That was a fun experience. XD

As far as updating my blog, I think I'm doing pretty good by staying on top of it.
New reviews, a Fangirl moment(so beware,) and other random stuff will arrive this time. :)

Look forward to it, or suffer the consequences. :P

Anyway, have a great month! (Remember, Christmas is in two months!!!!!)

For Those Who Gave Up

Some debateble things are best not to be touched. For example, politics and religion reign supreme in the list of topics not to disscuss with anyone you please. Today's social atmosphere in America clearly proves this true. You can say tea, muslim, or health and you are bound to have someone, on the left or right, scream curses at you. While that happens, hundreds or thousands die of starvation while millions more continue to suffer. Three cheers for political cat fights!

Because I do not feel educated enough in this field, I will not rant on politics. The confusing ads about balancing the budget and new jobs make my ears and eyes bleed. However, part of this will involve religion... because my wish to talk about this stemmed from my *ahem* CATHOLIC Morality class. Nothing against Catholics, but my school makes it sound like no other type of morality exists or can be similar in any way. (Or no other morality exists.)

To start off class each day, we pray and state what intentions we want to share. One girl said she was worried about her friend, who hasn't been improving from his medical condition. But what caught my attention was what another girl said. Someone she knew commited suicide because he was made fun of so much and couldn't take it anymore. My teacher, hands resting on the back of his head, reclined back in his chair and struggled to find the right words to say. And what did the holier-than-thou, good ol' Catholic respond? "That's ridiculous."

Maybe those weren't his exact words, but he didn't have a single ounce of pity or sympathy in his voice. And my friends keep telling me he's a nice guy.

Obviously you can't always judge a man by his beliefs, but at this point, I might have a decent idea of how he is like. He's not a horrible person, but I can't get past his "good ol' Catholicism" preaching. This is a morality class for juniors, not seventh grade religion. But what bothers me is that he reminds me too much of a religion teacher I had back in fifth and sixth grade. She would force us to pray the rosary every day; to fill out activity sheets for two year olds; and to read the Bible every Friday. My class even watched when Pope Benedict XVI replaced Pope John Paul II. As a ten/eleven year old, that was torture to me. Now my current teacher isn't that bad, but I can still sense a similar approach to faith that she used.

But back on topic. What upset me was from his few, cold words, I almost felt a deep, subconscious hole in me, as if someone angry was repetedly punching me at full force.

In terms of the whole "is suicide justifiable" debate, I don't care if you think that poor person would go to heaven or hell. Would it be wrong to show some pity for him or her? Would you at least share a consoling word to the family of the suicide victim? Would you at least say, "What a tragedy. I am so sorry." with some emotion? From what I heard today, my teacher would say no.

To be blunt, I don't know if God/a god(dess), multiple gods/godesses, the devil, heaven, hell, or an afterlife exists. I don't have a desire to follow a certain creed if someone forces it down my throat. But I do mourn the death of anyone (though I probably wouldn't for a psycho like Hitler...) Though I never realy liked his music much, I was shocked by Michael Jackson's death. I was upset when Ronnie James Dio passed away this year. But maybe I feel the most sorry for suicide victims.

I used to be a very happy kid until I went to grade school. In second grade, I walked in smiling; at the end of third grade, I came out depressed. Making friends never came easy for me again. My peers either hated me or treated me as if I never existed. To this day, I still haven't recovered and I still don't know why I was always disliked. For the longest time, I only had one friend, who ultimately manipulated me emotionally near the end of our friendship. Boys never even tried to communicate with me, and from that, people assumed I was a lesbian. Because I still haven't (and might never) recovered from this, I robotically go through school until I can get the hell out. Some people NOW decide to acknowledge me a little bit. Though I am nice to some, I subconsciously let karma bite everyone else. It's not a polite or morally right thing to do, but I've had enough of it.

However, at the end of the day, I am still alive. My parents took me to therapy for the three of us for most of my fifth grade year. Three years later, things got easier and I finally found two really good friends. My peers weren't as bad as I once thought they were. Today, I have three good friends, who tell me to fix my hair and eyebrows and who put up with my rants. Now I feel more like a typical kid with basic issues. It took me ten years to get where I am now.

Those who took their own lives might not gone through a similar situation as me, but I do have some sympathy. There were times I wondered what would happen if I died one day. But I always knew my parents would be upset. My good friends would too. But what about my peers? Would some actually care? Would some bullshit and say I was their bestest buddy ever? Would they say I'd burn in hell? Or would they not care and ask "is someone missing? Hmm, maybe not?"

In my view, suicide is not something you can coldly tag as being a good or bad thing. Suicide is pathetic, and can be cowardly. But there is no reason to be rude about it. There is no reason to brush it off as something ridiculous. Suicide is not a "no-no" in a religious holy book. Suicide is a death of a suffering human being. Could he/she have been helped? Yes. Could have someone saved of stoped him/her? Yes. Is every case of suicide easy to judge? NO. Just like in My Sister's Keeper with the cancer girl and her sister, some cases of suicide can't be deemed as downright wrong.

To those who want to give up on life, hang on. Death is inevitable, and it's something we all have to come to terms with. But life is important too. Live as if it's your last day. Don't get lost in dreams of the past or the future. Live for today. To those who gave up, I pity you. For whatever reasons you had for leaving, I will not judge. I wish for comfort for you family and friends.

If you don't agree with anything I said, that's fine. But all I ask is to not be like my religion teacher. Even if you think suicide is pathetic, have a heart, or at least pretend you have one. This is especially true if you are around the person who was close to the suicide victim.

Depressing, eh? Well, again. Live the best life you can, whether you are Catholic, Muslim, an atheist, on the left or right political spectrum, or one on the west or east hemisphere. And when it comes to our end, que será será... whatever will be, will be. :)

"Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)"

(CREDIT: owned by creator and My Chemical Romance. Found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Na_Na_Na_(Na_Na_Na_Na_Na_Na_Na_Na_Na))

My Rank: 3.5/5 <- exciting...

Unlike Three Days Grace, My Chemical Romance didn't make me suffer while waiting for their new album. MCR didn't give THREE changes to the release date of their album and then say after two years of joking around that "oh, NOW we're recording." So I applaud MCR for not giving me constant heart attacks like 3DG did. Plus, "Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)" impresses me more than "Break" did. But typing it out is dreadful...

Once a band has released at least three record, you can have a good idea what their style is, and My Chemical Romance is pretty over-the top. Going overboard tends to annoy me very much, hence why I can't stomach Lady GaGa at all. But the the difference between her and a band like this is that MCR has a theme to go by. They have a story to go by. Like with The Black Parade, it was a story about a dying cancer patient, and the album flowed as if it could easily be a musical, or a theatrical play. But it didn't stop there. Gerard Way dyed his hair white and had it cut so it looked like he had cancer. For the music video "Welcome to the Black Parade," the patient died and watched a crazy, but impressive "black parade" playing and coming for him. The imagery was impressive, the music was emotional and passionate. Was it all overboard? Maybe. But everything fit. Everything came together as a complete, vivid puzzle that was... perfect. I honestly don't know what words could convey how impressed I was with the art from that era. Maybe it helped that I do like theatrics.

Not that Lady GaGa can't do that, but she's so scrambled up and inconsistent with her outrageous ten minute music videos. But while she does that, I can stay tuned to MCR's theatrics and 30 Seconds to Mars's long videos that have some actual plot. So I can live in peace without GaGa. :)

"Na Na Na" sounds like classic MCR, but isn't as messy as any song off Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge. But sure is one hell of a ride of cursing, theatrics, insane outfits and hairstyles, and a curious new chapter in the band's universe. The music video was pretty fun overall (and the guys from Mindless Self indulgence were appeared guests.) What a blast. I can't wait to learn more about Battery City, Better Living Industries, and the lives of the Fabulous Killjoys. If all goes well, Danger Days will be the third excellent album worth buying this year. If there was one good thing listening to the majority did for me, it was trying out My Chemical Romance. Love 'em or hate 'em, they are pretty crazy and fun.

Why I didn't give this song such a high rating? It's great, but this isn't the best MCR song. But it'll do until Danger Days will be released. November 22 will be an awesome day. XD

MCR Transmissions

Because I'm such a strange person who likes My Chemical Romance.

This will keep me entertained for a short while until Nov 22. XD