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| As of this day..
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Posted: Jul 26, 2010
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Hello again my peeps,
As of today the SOCAN membership has been filled in and submitted, the tracks have been mastered and the business license is being processed. I am just checking the quality of the final versions of my tracks and intently listening for anything that needs attention. So far it's smooth sailing.
Summer is in full gear. The average temperature is a sunny 25 degrees and the air is breezy and warm. Girls are in baby tops and booty shorts and the parks and beaches are full of tanned people of all colors and creeds, chucking balls around, throwing frisbees, riding bicycles and swimming. It's like someone flipped on a 'let's congregate outdoors' switch. I like it.
I have a photographer and friend dropping by next week to get to work on shooting the album cover. I'm pretty excited. It's taken a while, but things are finally coming together, and I'm anxious to line up my ducks and start wrapping things up. I look forward to putting all this behind me and starting work on my next album project, short film and start playing with a band for a while, all while hopefully my music publishing company generates a bit more revenue for me and I can reap the rewards of all my efforts over the years.
Like I said, I'm excited. And rightly so!
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| Oh Lordy
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Posted: Jul 13, 2010
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Things have been SUPER tight financially lately. With the dip in business and introduction of the HST (HARMONIZED SALES TAX, yeah, it's soo harmonious) things are even harder to pay for. I have so many friggin' plans with my music, the publishing company I'm trying to start and other somewhat expensive endevours that I am juggling my monies frantically like a man with everything to lose. I have also decided that sooner rather than later I want to get up on stage and play, in a band. Yeah, you heard me, in a band. On stage. Looking down at screaming wannabe fans. Taking in the feeling of being a rock star. Feeling the adrenalin and nervous excitement of performing in front of many, many strangers. And I'm doing it. Mark my words, so help me, I'm doing it.
Maybe I should start a 'help the Kazman get his sh!t together' fund? I dunno. Sounds like a plan to me...
Speaking of bands, I've been a busy boy lately. Been to a couple of really good shows, first off went to see Steel Panther last Thursday at the Commodore!!
These guys are kind of a spoof band, like a hair metal version of Spinal Tap. But I tell you what. These dudes put on a SHOW. The crowd had a crazy time, the girls were wild and the music was awesome. Steel Panther could easily be a real, modern day metal band along the vein of Motley Crue and Poison if they chose to. But I think they're having more fun singing about chicks and generally making fun of themselves and playing around with the crowd. Awesome band, great sense of humor, and great tunes. They already have an original album out, and although the lyrics are preettyy explicit, the tunes rock, and they rock hard. If they're coming to a town near you, take the boys and expect a crazy good time...
Went down AGAIN to the Commodore last night to catch Fear Factory too.
City Of Fire were one of the bands that opened for them. Greg, one of the guys from work was the hired gun in that band so my real reason for going was to see him play some rhythm guitar. That and the fact that Byron who plays bass in Fear Factory bought a bike off me a couple years ago and put my name on the guest list to come and see them perform. Super nice of him, and I couldn't say no to that! Hell no!
36 Crazy Fists, Divine Heresy, After the Burial and Baptized in Blood were other bands that came on before Fear Factory headlined, and while they're all great musicians and put on a good show I can honestly say that I'm NOT a huge fan of the metal-core death-core or whatever they call it screaming, growling lyrics that these dudes belt out over the the detuned, heavy chunk guitars. While I do love super chugging guitars, the crazy, annoying screaming singers just KILL it for me. If I can't understand what you're saying brother, I don't wanna hear you. Especially if it sounds like you got your leg caught in a meat grinder.
Long live THE METAL.
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| IRON MAIDEN.
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Posted: Jul 1, 2010
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HEY!!
Went to see Maiden at GM Place this week, Dream Theater opened up for them and it was toooo cool. Our seats were pretty high up but I got to see John Petrucci in the flesh executing his shred and pummeling riffs. They played some of my favorites, including Home, Constant Motion and Pull Me Under. They only played a few sets much to my disappointment, like five songs or something. I know they were only opening up for the main act, but still, c'mon guys.
That alone was worth the entry price as far as I was concerned, but then Maiden parted the curtains and put on an epic show, with a combination of new and older tunes and Bruce Dickenson belting out the lyrics and jumping around on stage like it was the 80's all over again. I love how they've aged, but really haven't. In between tunes he shouted out for the fans to raise their hands if it was their first Maiden concert and practically the entire stadium of 20,000 plus people raised their hands. I find it mind blowing that after 30 years in the business, they are still gaining ground with their fan base. Just incredible.
And then halfway through the show he dedicated Blood Brothers to his mentor, Mr. Ronnie James Dio. That, I tell you, struck a chord with the entire stadium. It was a goose-bumpy moment, when you feel a warmth in your belly and the hairs on your skin are electrified. Unreal.
On another note, I am starting my own music publishing company as opposed to signing up a deal with the offer I have now. Been thinking about it a lot and I have decided this is the best way to go, and beneficial to my future all round. I will be my own client! Still thinking up a name and logo for it and getting the legal paperwork straightened out but it's soo happening. Fill you in on that as it progresses.
Watched Daybreakers last night and loved it! What an intelligent take on the overdone, overused vampire cliche movies and TV shows that have come out in droves recently. And what a twist at the end! Highly recommend this movie, if you haven't seen it, think Matrix with vampires, and lots of gore. Definitely a rental...
Mastering on the new album is still being done. It's taking a while, but it's happening. I have already decided what I'll be doing for printing and already have an album title but still need photography, which will also be happening soon.
Blew my hamstring while out playing softball the other day and it's killing me. Still walking with a limp 3 days later. Pain in the butt. But so far hasn't hampered the gym sessions, just my morning jogs. Have to stick with the stationary bike cuz that seems to be the least painful way to get my cardio workouts in. Bummer.
All in all life is good. Summer feels like the fall already this year but that's not stopping us from having a good ol' time. Peace be with you brothers and sisters. And happy Canada Day!
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| Pushme.to!
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Posted: Jun 4, 2010
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Just installed pushme.to on my site on the LINKS page. Now you can instant message me anytime from anywhere and I receive a push notification on my iPhone! Yes, even from the browser on your PC or Mac! No phone required! Isn't that just amazing? Man, what will they think of next?! You just wait. I can't think of anything right now but I'll get back to you.
Appointment has been made for the mastering next week. Oh yeah, I'm soooo going there. Also got the contract from the publishing company. Just ironing out a couple things. Still working on the guitar endorsement thing too. And, yes, YES, SOCAN is now the performance rights society of choice. Just some morsels of info for you hungry-for-information people. Only cuz feeding time was a half hour ago and you look absolutely famished. Too bad. So sad.
Oh and I got tickets to Steel Panther, and the Maiden/Dream Theater concerts. Whadya say to that?
Life is a bucket of chocolate covered pretzels. Just delectable.
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| RONNIE JAMES DIO dies, 67.
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Posted: May 20, 2010
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This is something I'm pretty torn up about actually. Ronnie James Dio has died. The lead singer of Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Dio, the man who made the devil horns (aka the Maloik) the sign every metal-head religiously punches into the air, has passed. He created generations of hard rock tunes and symbolized heavy metal in his persona and philosophy. His voice was strong and powerful and soared, and it brought with it images of knights and warriors, demons and sorcery, and epic battles amid mystical landscapes.
Holy Diver still resonates in my head, all these years later. There will never be another Dio. He shall forever be killing dragons in the hereafter. We salute you Ronnie. RIP.
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| Alan Wake
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Posted: May 18, 2010
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A game I have anxiously been awaiting since it's inception 5 years ago, Alan Wake, the exclusive Xbox 360 title, is finally here, and I've already played through a few chapters. Remedy Games, the Finnish game developers responsible for AAA titles like Max Payne and Max Payne 2 have been working on this doozy for a half a decade, and it's finally here and in my living room. Yes, I said it. In my living room.
You play as Alan Wake, the main protagonist in what is essentially a Stephen King like horror story (complete with several references to the famous writer throughout the game) in a third-person, story driven action adventure/horror. The game is VERY story based so you should really pay close attention to the plot as it evolves, but it's also a joy to behold. The Pacific North West is beautifully rendered in gorgeous HD graphics, both in the daytime gameplay and at night. And at night is where the game really shines; your main weapon is a flashlight, and the way the light pierces through the dark beautifully rendered forests and trails as you make your way to the next checkpoint is breathtaking. It FEELS like you're watching a movie that you're experiencing firsthand, and I love that.
The game slowly starts out with you waking up in Bright Falls, a small strange little town you just vacated to, after blacking out, a bad car accident and a missing wife, and no memory as to what happened. Throughout the game you find clues as to where your missus may be held, all the while confronting (or avoiding, if your ammo runs out) crazed townspeople, draped in shadow and wielding machetes and hatchets and trying to mow you down. Along the way you stumble onto pages of a manuscript that you wrote, only don't remember writing, and it gives you clues to help solve the mystery of this strange place and what's happening around you. The story so far is compelling, intriguing and thoroughly enjoyable to play. If you own an Xbox, make this one a keeper.
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| Dream Theater. Vancouver.
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Posted: May 9th, 2010
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Speaking of games I am currently darting around in the Chronicles of Riddick; Escape from Butcher Bay. It came as a two-game package when I picked up the new Riddick game, Assault on Dark Athena. For the 360. Oh yeah baby..
The first game came out on the original Xbox back in 2004 and is a revamped version with snazzier updated HD graphics. I bought the original in a bargain bin a couple years ago and hoped to play it on my 360, but for some reason (I know NOW why) it never became backwards compatible.
And lo and behold, the new sequel comes out and with it, the old game all polished and remastered as a bonus. Nice. So far I'm about half way through the original game and having a blast. The gameplay requires a lot of stealth and plays a lot like Half-Life, with lots of interesting characters to interact with and missions to solve. Lots of couch gameplay to be had, no doubt.
Watched the new Nightmare of Elm Street yesterday. Wow, what a letdown. I tell you what; no Robert Englund and this movie was another cookie-cutter slasher B-flick. Lost was the sense of humor and style that the original actor brought to the series. Oh well. If you want to kill an hour and a half I can think of worse things, but don't expect this to be a re-invention of the Wes Craven classics.
On another side note..
I can't confirm this just yet but it looks like Dream Theater may be coming to Vancouver June 24th, along with Maiden!! Or at least that's what it says on the Dream Theater website, however I have yet to find available tickets on Ticket Master. Rest assured, if it's a confirmed show I'm soooo gonna be there!! Ooooh yeah.
Went to the 1st annual Canadian Video Game Awards ceremony up at the Vancouver Convention Center a few days ago with a buddy. Yes, yes I did!
Victor Lucas from the daily video game review shows Reviews On The Run and Electronic Playground hosted the awards, along with other 'celebrities' and people of the industry, handing out trophies for various categories in video game design, gameplay, story-writing, handheld games and a variety of other slots. We had the Video Games Live orchestra pumping out renditions of all our favorite classic video game tunes in between awards as well as other live musicians taking the stage to impress us with their knowledge of gaming themes. I actually found it a lot more musical than visual (which isn't a bad thing for me) and I quite enjoyed myself. Two and a half hours later it was over, and I automatically became part of history; for I had attended the first ever annual Canadian Video Game Awards ceremony held in the world! How crazy is that?!
Yep. I know!
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| Videogame review - The Darkness (2007)
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Posted: Apr 30, 2010
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Here's a review I put together of The Darkness on the Xbox 360, a game that came out a while ago now but that I still love to this day...
Probably a game that impressed me no end, not so long ago, was The Darkness by 2K games and StarBreeze Studios out of Sweden. Starbreeze pumped out the well-received Chronicles of Riddick game for the Xbox and PC a few years ago amongst other titles and are apparently working on the new Bourne video games for EA. With their track record, if you've played their games, their new project will be nothing short of incredible.
The Darkness is based on a series of comics by Marc Silvestri that permeated the 90's and has a strong following to this day. Now I had occasionally seen the artwork for The Darkness on several news stands over the years but never ventured past picking up and flipping through a copy. This game made me wish I had.
The game starts you off in the role of Jackie Estacado, a hired gun/contract killer who works for the Franchetti mob family and is about to celebrate his 21st birthday. It kicks in cinematically enough with a high speed car chase, with a Sopranos-esque group of voice actors dropping the f-bomb every couple seconds. And from there you are put into an intricate story-driven first person shooter.
This game, when I first popped it into my 360 in 2007, blew me away. The graphics, the tight gameplay, attention to detail and the immersive, deep storyline was extremely compelling and yes, strangely moving. There's a sequence about a quarter ways through the game where you meet up at your girlfriend Jenny's new apartment and sit beside her on the couch. You can choose to just sit there, if you want, and watch 'To Kill a Mockingbird' on the TV, in it's entirety. And for a while I just sat there, taking in the serenity of it all, feeling strangely calm, not wanting to get up and wake Jenny. It was bizarre.
The voice acting is flawless. It's about as New York mob as it could be, and it's done brilliantly. Kirk Acevedo from the Oz and Fringe TV series' plays the main protagonist, Jackie, and his acting is spot-on.
Had it stuck to its mob-family storyline, the game would still have been amazing. The fact that the comic-book demonic possession element plays a huge role in the gameplay I found was a huge bonus. Shooting 'Uncle' Paulie's thugs and goons was fun, but when you are given demonic tentacle-like limbs and dark, evil powers to lay waste to the gun-totting baddies, the virtual world becomes a playground like no other. Not to mention the 'Darklings', little imp-like demons that climb out of the ground to do your evil, violent bidding. And at no time do you feel vulnerable as the main character in the game. Even though I played and finished the game on the hardest difficulty setting (which took some effort!), I felt every bit as awesome and menacing and powerful as my character looked on the screen.
There are loads of side-missions and plenty to do in this game and are many more elements I haven't even touched on but I feel almost like I'm reviewing a movie. There's so much to talk about and explain I could sit here all day. And that would be the best way to describe it; it's a very deep cinematic experience for a video game. Like a well-stylized, virtual graphic-novel. Even the loading scenes were awesome. It's definitely up there with the greats.
The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game grabbed some good reviews but for some reason I feel it never got the push to awesome-dom it so greatly deserved. The multiplayer felt a touch more like an afterthought than I wished, and admittedly I played very little of it. However, it remains to this day a game that is still waaaay under the radar. For a game based on a comic-book character, they certainly did it more justice and gave it more soul than games based on comics to this day (probably the only exception being Batman: Arkham Asylum, which came out 2 years later, and is a totally different type of game). If you haven't played this gem, they're in the bargain section of most game retailers and I highly recommend you check it out. You won't be disappointed.
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| THE. NEW. ALBUM. IS. COMPLETE.
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Posted: Apr 28, 2010
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Hey, read the title of this post. Are you jumping up and down right now?! Did you inadvertently spit your coke across the living room floor? I know I did!!
Holy smokes. Album four is done and it's so good it's BAD! Took me a while but boy am I stoked! The artwork still has to be done and I have yet to do the mastering, but all my hard work has finally reared it's head into something I can listen to and nod with honest approval.
I'm very, very happy. This is what it's all about. Creating. And I know I mean business this time round. Compared to past attempts, this one shines like a thousand suns, if I do say so myself. Yes, you wait. You just wait. If your socks are still on after taking this ferry ride then my friends, I will be very surprised.
This will, in all seriousness, blow your socks off. Not just blow them off, but out of the room and over into your neighbors yard. You'll have a hard time finding them, and even if you do, they'll be a smoldering mess.
But don't worry mouseketeers. With every album sold I shall include a personal offer to buy you new socks. How do you feel about that, oh loyal fans?!
Only cuz I love you. And cold feet are no fun. No fun at all.
I'll keep you in the loop. Expect more fun facts in a very short while..
:)
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| Spring is in the air!
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Posted: Apr 19, 2010
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The smell of earth and pine and green and all things fresh. The warm sun on your back, and the cool refreshing breeze that fluffs your eyelashes. YES! It seems spring has crept up on us, a little late perhaps, but nevertheless the season has arrived!
I'm excited. The mood seems to have changed. People are out in droves, on the streets, in parks, on the beach, walking dogs or cycling or throwing around a softball. Can't help but smile to myself when I stand outside for a cigarette.
Been working on the album some more. I'm excited about that too, even more so. I can almost taste it's completion. And since I'm doing all the production myself this time round I'm biding my time with it, going over it again and again and again. Yes it CAN be tedious, but there is much love in what I do at this moment in time. And there's no disputing that!
I promised you a spring album. And a spring album ye shall receive.
Ta-ta.
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Hey my peeps,
It's hard to put in words but I'll try my best. I lost my mojo for a bit there. For the last few weeks it felt like someone had kicked the poop outta me, and made me feel vulnerable, and a little unsturdy.
Maybe a combination of the change in weather, and the flu I've been carrying around with me since mid March, and some other not so fun things. Got an ear infection too that lasted a week. I'm not sure what it was. But I did, for a short amount of time, lose my mojo.
What is mojo? Let me explain.
According to Answers.com, 'If your mojo is working, you lead a charmed life. That's because mojo, in its original sense, is a charm, kept in a cloth bag. Depending on which conjure doctor you go to, the charm can be roots, rats, snakes, lizards, pumpkin seeds, dirt, clay, or steel wool. Nowadays the word is widely used, often with no reference to a magical cloth bag but simply meaning power, influence, or advantage.'
So there you go. I guess it can also mean your 'edge', something that keeps you going everyday and on top of your game. I never knew about the pumpkin seed thing, but whatever. It's interesting nonetheless, and today I think I found it again. Pretty stoked about that right now...
Pesky mojo! Always going AWOL. I need to chain that sucker to my living room couch. Yeah, it's pretty heavy too. No walkies for you buddy!!
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| The Walk
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Posted: Mar 22, 2010
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Jeremy walks in solitude. No words are uttered for an hour and a half . He feels like his mouth is glued shut. The beach and slow moving tides hiss to his right, and park benches and children’s rides litter his left. Besides the gulls’ calls, serenity abounds. It seems so peaceful. People walking their dogs, whispering to each other, oblivious to the fact they are outdoors. You see an old man, asleep on a park bench. It’s mid-day and the temperature is a cool, breezy 12 degrees.
The sun is out and warm on Jeremy’s back, and he shuffles past the casually strolling parade of passers by.
As he looks out towards the ocean, Jeremy stops. He ponders. He remembers a time when he thought he was completely safe. A time when one presumed that being young was forever, and the world felt new and interesting. He had his whole life ahead of him, he had thought, and he felt he had all the time in the world to conquer his dreams. He wondered back then as to where he would end up, pipe dreams of major achievements, recognition, contributing to the betterment of society; making a difference.
And then he sees them. The people passing by. Quietly walking their paths. And if he looks closely enough he'll see that look in them. The majority of them. Of defeat. Of a life wasted. Dreams shattered. Insecurity. Loneliness. Uncertainty. That look of epic mundanity.
Jeremy looks for hope in those faces. There are traces, but not much. He wonders how long it will be before he shares those feelings of despair. Of hopelessness. How many years have to go by? How long will those years FEEL like?
He realizes that a probable solution is all in his outlook. In how he conquers his problems, and answers the questions that need to be asked. Or conjures up excuses. And refuses to face his demons. It could go either way.
He knows focus is very, very important in one's life. A strong vision that pertains to the priorities in each one's own realm, and how you achieve them. He can be led astray and distracted with much ease, and he knows this. The years scream past and soon enough time will have run out, and with it all hopes and expectations.
Jeremy looks to a park bench and slowly makes his way towards it. The breeze ruffles his hair and the smell of the sea evokes a deep breath. As he sits and looks back at the strangers that move past him, he smiles. He knows there is still time. And his hopes are high. And he has a plan. And that, in itself, is inspiring.
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| Bit of an update here..
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Posted: Mar 21, 2010
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Soooooo...remember how we shot a documentary...?
Well we submitted it to a small independent film festival and did NOT get selected. I was pretty bummed to say the least.
But whatever, there's always next year. And for sure there are more festivals out there, some more diverse than others.
Remember how I was taking guitar lessons all that time ago? Well, that lasted about 4 sessions or so before I decided that music theory is the pits. When you dumb yourself down and open yourself up to new ideas you expect to absorb something new. I tried, but I didn't. With the exception of some new scales (which I haven't learned yet) it all seemed for naught. No regrets though. It just didn't work out this time round.
Just thought I'd let you know since nothing was said for a while.
Love ya.
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| Norooz Pirooz.
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Posted: Mar 20, 2010
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Happy Persian New Year to all who celebrate it! May the force be with you all..!
Sal-e now mubarak!
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| Corey Haim dead at 38
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Posted: Mar 11, 2010
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I just heard today that Corey Haim passed away today of an overdose. Back in the 80's growing up, his was the face on all the teen magazines and on TV, along with guys like Corey Feldman and River Phoenix and Kirk Cameron and Sean Astin. I remember him in the movie Lucas, Stephen King's Silver Bullet, and in probably his most well known acting role, in the Lost Boys.
It's always sad when someone goes. Even though I was never a huge fan, and even though he dropped into obscurity in the 90's and 2000's cuz of his addiction problems, I'm gonna watch Lost Boys tonight again, just for the hell of it.
RIP man.
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| Aria Pro II Guitar!
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Posted: Mar 10, 2010
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Check out this 80's ad for the Aria Pro II Knight Warrior. They don't make em like that anymore, that's for sure!
Incidentally, ahem, I own one. Nuff said...
Notice the phasing in and out of my name on my new website banner?! Isn't it almost hypnotic?! Do you not feel compelled to buy my mp3s online, or wait, wait...even go to the CDBaby online store and buy an ACTUAL CD? Sent to your very door? Yes, by an ACTUAL MAILMAN!?
No? Well keep staring then. The urge is near.
Bear with me. Site's coming along nicely. More to come!!
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| Website!!
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Posted: Mar 6, 2010
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Hey...so...little news for ya,
I'm working on the website. Needs a total overhaul. Doing the final runthrough on my tracks, checking for boominess and sloppy solos. Mastering is just around the corner. Looking for an agent. And endorsements. Transferring over to SOCAN and putting up YouTube videos shortly of what I can do, and the services that I can offer. No, I'm not talking about hair removal. More like soundtracking and creating scores for video games and short films. Oh and I'm searching for a new label too. Something a little closer to home.
I'm busy, as you probably noticed. But busy is good. And I'm sparing no effort. I'm like a bull in heat. That plays the guitar. In Vancouver.
Love ya.
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| 2010 Olympics
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Posted: Feb 14, 2010
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So yes, we are now in the year that Vancouver has been preparing for for years. The 2010 Olympics are upon us, and with that comes much traffic and road blockages, overpriced frappaccinos and plush toys that sell for 20 bucks. Woohoo. Wasn't that worth the wait?
Not being one to follow sports in general I find the hoohaw surrounding the Olympics a little numbing, but nonetheless many all over the world have either traveled here or are intently following the games via the internet or TV, and I'm sure they're loving every minute of it. Let the games begin, or so Donald Sutherland keeps saying on the TV commercials every 20 minutes.
As for me, I've been keeping a low profile lately, trying ever so hard to get out of the rat race and make the most of my life. I'm sure everyone gets there, but once you get to a certain age you look back on your achievements (or lack of) and struggle to make sense of your life and where it's all heading. I have a few plans that I'm seeing through, and hopefully very soon I'll have some major strides behind me.
I will complete my forth album project before the spring of this year, so help me God, and work on the other projects too in the meanwhile, i.e a short film, viral videos and possibly a documentary, all happening this year! I also plan to switch from ASCAP to SOCAN; living in Canada it makes more sense. Is all of this challenging?? Yes. Absolutely. Is it possible??? Yes, definitely. It's all in how you organize your workload. And your time. I'm pretty confident I can make a dent. Hell, maybe even carve out a whole new future!! Woohoo!!
Happy Valentine's Day. Merry Krishna. I hope you brought home your significant other some flowers. Or a box of chocolates. Or some bee's wax. Or whatever your partner's into. It's the thought that counts..!
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| Happy New Year! Again!!
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Posted: Dec 29, 2009
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Man, the days are FLYYING by! Pretty soon I'll be a toothless 80 year old, pooping himself and reminiscing days gone past. Wow. I can't wait.
Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it. I had a good time this year, with lots of turkey and stuffing over at my buddies place Christmas Eve, and even more turkey and stuffing and other good stuff Christmas day. Can't complain can I? No sirree, all is well in SamVille.
The last couple of months I invested in an iPhone. Yeah, you heard me; an iPHONE. Now normally I don't just jump on the bandwagon, nor have I had a smartphone in years since my Sony Ericsson P800, back in 2000 or 2001. Great phone for its' time, and as a matter of fact I still have it, boxed up in it's original packaging and dormant for the last 3 and a bit years.
So my phone service provider here in Canada has some crazy offers on plans and hardware upgrades, and I decide to invest in the iPhone.
What a smart move that was, I tell ya!
This little piece of technology is ingenious. It's the best contraption I've ever owned, and I love it. It does pretty much anything you're willing to download thru the App Store (an online store for applications, in case you didn't know) and everything just downloads and operates seamlessly, for the most part. The camera is amazing, the reception is fantastic (which a lot of smartphones sort of miss the boat on; first and foremost it's supposed to be a phone!) and the applications are intuitive and super easy to use. Hardly any direction is required and you just browse and play with this thing for hours.
This is by no means an endorsement, because there still are people out there that don't want to spend that kind of money on a phone, but for all the OTHER things it can do, and the tight, neat little package it comes in, I'd buy one again! So yeah, maybe it is an endorsement!
The cool thing is that my favorite app on my iPhone is a little program called C64, an emulator that allows you to play Commodore 64 games on your iPhone.
WHAT? you say... Commodore 64 games? On your iPhone?! You must be jest, no??
That's kinda what I thought too. And the cool thing is you can download more old games for just 99 cents each. I feel like a king. That's right, a king. That still lives in the 80's.
Last night went to see James Cameron's Avatar. If you haven't heard of this movie yet, I cannot, cannot repeat this enough; go out and see it. In 3D, the way it was meant to be seen.
James Cameron is best known for his Titanic movie and the first two Terminator films, amongst others, but this is his latest and greatest. Avatar is a script he wrote back in 1994 but never saw through because of technology limitations, and when things got funky with 3D technology and computer generated imagery I guess he decided 4 or 5 years ago to fire this project up. And what a doozy this one is. For a movie that's over 2 hours and 40 minutes long, I hardly felt it. The whole time I was just awed by the CGI and the alien environments, the incredible Na'vi characters on the screen and the non-stop momentum of the movie.
This film had me lost in a world completely man-made and digitally created. But I believed it. And the anti-war message is clear and powerful, and although it's been the subject of some controversy, (mainly right-wing Bible-thumpers) I liked it more so because of it. For nearly three hours I was there, on Pandora, with the characters and the wonderful performances by Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington. Especially Zoe, when her Na'vi character expressed emotion on the screen it was mind blowing. So freakin' real. For the duration of the movie I could have sworn to you they captured aliens on tape.
Go. See. It.
Happy New Year everyone. Keep it clean, try not to puke, and don't end up rolled up in a ball, in the mud, crying for attention. Not cool.
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| Hallelujah.
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Posted: Nov 20, 2009
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Hey again people,
I've been gone for soooo long, it feels like ages. I think it may be, too. Much has happened and I am pretty excited about the goings-on of this guy!
The album tracks are coming along nicely, and the documentary project is being worked on as we speak.
So far we have a few more days before we submit our new project to one of the film festivals that are accepting at this time here in Vancouver. It's pretty cool, considering not too long ago I had no idea I was going in this direction!
Every night has been filled with long hours in front of the computer, editing and fine tuning scenes to fit the theme of this short film.
It's all very exciting! And I'm very hopeful that this film festival takes a serious look at our first project and gives us a nod! You never know, right?
I'll keep you in the loop. Stay sane.
Sam out.
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| Updates for the Masses
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Posted: Oct 17, 2009
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Quite a few interesting tidbits of info since I last wrote.
Biggest and most disappointing news has to be Buell Motorcycle Co., going belly-up after 26 years in the business.
Working with Buell for 7 years, an affiliate and race-bike sister product of the Harley-Davidson company, I was nothing short of horrified with the news two days ago that Erik Buell was told to pack up and empty his cubicle after years of being under the wing of the big and powerful H-D. It was disheartening and sickening to say the least, especially after Buell has made such progress with their critically acclaimed liquid-cooled bikes recently winning the AMA races and proving themselves on the track and on the street.
I even contacted Erik Buell himself by email and tried to get an interview with him up in Troy Wisconsin where the factory is. After all, we are witnessing history here with the discontinuation of the world's only American sport bike manufacturer. He declined, saying Harley had issues a gag-order and that he was just right now trying to ensure that the brand wasn't completely devalued at this point with warranty and parts assurance for the next few years.
Unbelievable. The world has changed so rapidly, and I fear there's more of this shit to come. I'm not going to issue a farewell RIP cuz I hope that this is not over yet, and that someone there in Harley or an outside investor will come to their senses, regardless of the damned economy, and not kill the only sport-bike company in the world that dared to be different. And was good at it.
On a lighter note,
Brutal Legend for the Xbox 360, the game Tim Schafer has been developing for the last 5 years (and had me eagerly awaiting its' release for the same amount of time) is finally out!
You start off as a roadie, Eddie Riggs, who is resurrected into an alternate world during a rock concert accident, with landscapes based on 80's metal album artwork, half buried V8s littering the horizon and strange, vaguely familiar medieval creatures that lurk through your dark adventure that lies ahead.
And no sooner do you watch the funny, cartoony intro than you start the hack n'slash / RTS gameplay; once you have acquired certain collectible weapons and learned guitar riffs you unlock items and advance through the game.
And here's where things get interesting. Once you've acquired your axe and guitar you make strides, interacting with the all-star heavy-metal voice cast of characters (strange demonic individuals loosely based on metal rockers' frontmen) and controlling an army of thick-necked headbangers and cute, vicious groupies!
You fan base is all important and during the RTS gameplay you have to strategically control characters in order to fight the dark forces, all the while keeping your fans in check. You create and control hordes of metal warriors, all hilarious in their look and strengths, and make your way through the rubble of a post-apocalyptic metal wasteland.
I can't recommend this game enough. If you're into metal and video-games, this is definitely for you!
On yet another note, watched the recently released DVD of the Story of Anvil, a documentary about the ill-fated 80's metal band that never quite made it. In this case even if you're not a heavy-metal fan you'll love the story. It's very heartfelt, and details the lives of lead singer Lips and drummer Robb's struggle to make it, even 30 years later.
Awesome. Keep tight. More updates as I see fit..
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| Life In Vancouver
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Posted: Aug 29, 2009
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Amid days of working, casual fishing, gym sessions and laying down some tasty licks, myself and a friend are now contemplating the potential for film making as a new avenue to express ourselves.
Not to give too much away at this point, we shall shortly be travelling to a nearby province to shoot a gallery of scenic and beautiful images for our new website portfolio. The filming, editing and score will entirely be put together by ourselves.
I am indeed very exited about the prospect of movie making and am anxious to get started. This will in no way effect the outcome of my current album project, and I feel can only be a positive addition to projects I intend to partake in!!
You bums know where I am. Call or write me if you need me.
Ciao.
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| Progress
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Posted: Jul 26, 2009
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After many months of stagnating, procrastinating and other words that end in -ing, finally the inspiration is flowing like so much cherry cool-aid. After getting to grips with the control scheme and the nuances of Reaper I can say with much confidence that I am at the point where I care NOT about the workings of my software, but of the creativity that this ease of operation is allowing me to focus on.
Already three or four tracks have made it onto my new album project, with many more on their way. I am a VERY happy man.
And so it begins..
More news as it unravels!!
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| Michael Jackson dead at 50
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Posted: Jun 26, 2009
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So you probably heard the news by now. The King of Pop Michael Jackson has died. Apparently due to an overdose of prescription drugs.
The news hit me like a slap in the face. Sure, most of you probably haven't been listening to his tunes for years, myself included, but Michael Jackson is dead. Dead. And at 50?
Unbelievable.
I still remember when I would listen to Thriller on tape at home, or in my walkman. He was a big part of my growing up, and for some reason it feels like a much sadder place without him. I didn't think after all the negative news surrounding him that it would affect me so, from his presumed weird infatuation with little kids to his crumbling empire, to his stint with the Sheikh in Bahrain a couple years ago.
And yet after years of negative press hounding the man, from the damning documentaries to the constant unflattering publicity about his private life; the world mourns in the hundreds of thousands.
The song 'One Day in Your Life' is playing in my head over and over again. I remember it from the B side on my "Off the Wall" tape and it really moved me back then. Still does today.
Rest in peace brother. You will be sorely missed.
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| Slayer in Vancouver!
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Posted: Jun 25, 2009
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Buddy Mike and me hit the streets of Vancouver yesterday and rocked to Slayer, Megadeth and Machine Head, live at GM Place!
There must have been twenty thousand people there; plenty of head bangin' and good times were had by all, as far as I could see. And in my condition, I couldn't see too far. But boy did I have a blast.
We need more! Bring on the metal shows! And support the scene you crazy bastards. Otherwise they won't come here no more..
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| Another vid baby.
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Posted: Jun 15, 2009
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| Here comes the REAPER.
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Posted: May 28, 2009
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Many tries. And yet, it's so intuitive. Spent the entire day yesterday editing a video clip the boys from work took of a recent bike ride. And most of it was spent doing the music, through Reaper.
I am awe stricken with how much fun I'm having with this software, and after a lengthy session yesterday finally got her done, synced up with the video and uploaded on my site, and on my myspace page.
Love it! This latest track will be making it on my new album. It needs a few tweaks, the drums still need some work, but overall this is Twilight Ride, my first entry into my latest project.
Yessssss.
You can see the video on my 'videos' tab, just so you know. Pretty self-explanatory.
Love y'all. You'll be hearing more soon!
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| Remington Steele
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Posted: April 28, 2009
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SO guess who strolls through our dealership about a week ago; yes, none other than Pierce Brosnan, the man himself, in the flesh. I asked him if he'd liked some coffee and he politely declined. I must say it was pretty weird seeing 007 casually meandering through our store, paging though our catalogues and checking out our T-shirts. I only got to talk to him for a couple seconds but it was pretty cool how relaxed and down to earth he seemed to be. I'm assuming he's shooting a movie here in Vancouver. Whatever the case, I bumped into a celebrity and that was pretty awesome in itself!
Winter really dragged on this year, but spring is now here, and the smell in the air is wonderful. It's like every tree is exhaling a sigh of relief now that the winter has come and gone, with fresh pine, earth and grass scents filling your nostrils whenever you open a window or leave the house. I've been riding a bit now too, and me and a buddy rode through Duffy Lake a couple weeks ago, a loop that pretty much lasted the whole day. Very invigorating! Nothing else compares to riding a motorcycle in Vancouver in spring. Some of the sights I saw were breathtaking, and every few miles we had to stop and take pictures to record the unbelievable view.
Moments are made of this, my friend..
Life in general is pretty good. You'd think with all this talk of recession and now, swine flu, that people would be running in the streets, naked, eating out of garbage cans all zombie-like.
So far, it's still OK, I'm eating well and my underwear doesn't have holes in it. Maybe, just maybe, we may survive this.
That and the fact that my killer new home recording studio is officially way AWESOME, and already many tracks have been concocted. Soon, very soon my impatient little imps you will have more of the tracks that WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Or at least move you on from listening to my older stuff, if you still are at all...
And to top it all off, June 24th marks Canadian Carnage, a day of serious metalage, the likes of which you may never have experienced before! Megadeth, Slayer and Machine Head will be performing at GM Place to blow your shoes off and beat you to a bloody pulp. Crazy, yes? And guess who got tickets to that spectacular show...
Yeap. This guy.
Can't wait. It's about time I had another concert to go to and there was no way I was passing this one up. This will be the first time I see Slayer in concert too, go figure. Oh yeah, THIS IS BIG.
May the metal be with you. Always. And if you're in town, come to the show! I guarantee one helluva trip! Bring a change of underwear too if this is your first metal outing.
Ta-ta for now...
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| Ocean Spray.
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Posted: Apr 15, 2009
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Hello again. Funny seeing you here. Man, it's been a trip.
I am right now drinking cranberry juice, right out of the bottle. I've been sick for the last few days so, you know, juicing up. I hate it when I'm sick, as I'm sure all of you do too. Very debilitating..
So went to see Protest the Hero a couple weeks ago at the Red Room. Wow. What a performance! That lead singer Rody Walker is spectacular. What pitch! One minute he's screaming like a little girl and the next he's doing the full-on death metal growl. And what charisma on stage. Seriously, this band is going to be huge if they stick together and keep coming up with these awesome tunes. They are tight and the tracks are extremely heavy, technical and dare I say it, intersting. If you haven't heard any of their stuff I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Fortress and Kezia. Balls to the wall baby.
My home studio is now complete. The last few weeks have been spent slowly acquiring the components necessary to create my Killer Audio Recording Work Station. Or K.A.R.W.S. for short. The PC, the software and various peripherals are now in place. I feel all powerful again. All powerful A-GAIN. Spent quite a bit of coin putting all this together, but by golly, it was worth it. Now all I have to do is slowly wait for inspiration to fuel the fires of my compositions. It's coming. Hold your horses, I know it is, so sit back and wait for more golden tracks courtesy of mwah.
Did my tax returns today too. Damnmit to hell, but I had NO returns. I OWED! Sucks huge.
It wasn't too much, so no big deal. But a little hand from the government to ease the pain of my hefty spending lately would've helped plenty. Oh well. Maybe next year.
Doubt it. But who can say really?
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| Oh Joe.
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Posted: April 2, 2009
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You may or may not have heard but Joe Satriani, guitar God and probably the most inspirational musician to me while growing up, is suing Coldplay for copyright infringement, stating that the melody and chord progression from their 2008 track "Viva La Vida" is directly lifted from his 2004 song "If I could fly".
Take a look.
http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/joe-satriani-speaks-about-coldplay-lawsuit-185914
This started back in December but as far as I know it's still on-going. If you hear the tracks side by side you'll see what all the fuss is about, and frankly Coldplay deserve a kick in the ass for blatantly copying a well known and prolific track that Satriani recorded years ago. As a matter of fact one of the Coldplay musicians even stated he was a long time Satriani fan.
So what do I think? Well obviously a band like Coldplay, talentless hacks that they are, need as much inspiration as possible and what better way to make good music that to lift it from an awesome musician? I never liked Coldplay. As far as I'm concerned they're a bunch of fags that couldn't play their way out of a paper bag.
But now, jeese, they suck on an even BIGGER scale. Joe, don't let up. Take them for everything you can. The fact that these assholes won a Grammy for YOUR song is reason enough to take them to the cleaners.
I hope you win this one. Instrumental musicians everywhere always get a raw deal...
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| Yet again.
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Posted: Feb 13, 2009
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And another year comes along. Thank you.
So what is it that I seek?
A crazy ass desktop PC with a quad-core processor, 6GB of RAM, a half-terrabyte of memory and the best sound card (and interface for analogue inputs) that money can buy. Well, MOST money can buy.
I seek that which shall run REAPER, the downloadable multitrack recording software that shall now be the base for my very own home recording and production.
This will all be happening within a couple of weeks. Prepare yourselves for a barrage of metal mayhem. And sooner than you think!!
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| Happy New Year.
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Posted: Dec 28, 2008
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Hey!!
Went to see Dragonforce about 10 days ago. Boy what a sham. Besides the fact that the organizers left all us standing outside for about 40 minutes in minus 8 degree temperature (I don't think I've ever been that cold in my life) the show itself was awful.
Powerglove opened up for Dragonforce, some crazy band that did metal renditions of 80's video-game music. Actually, some of it was pretty cool, I'll give them that. Unfortunately the rest of the show blew, with Dragonforce doing more celtic syle jig music with organs and clapping then anything I'd heard off the one album that I have. Obviously not being a huge fan anyway the show didn't particularly work for me, but for the thousand or so people that did show up, I'm sure they sucked it all in and had a good time. Needless to say, that's the last Dragonforce show I go to.
Christmas has come and gone, with turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes and gravy and cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie for dessert. I went round to my buddy's dad's place for Christmas dinner and a Blueray movie. It was a nice, enjoyable evening. I even had brussel sprouts, which I can barely stand but actually managed to swallow without choking.
I have high hopes for you, 2009. This better be good, cuz this year was probably one of the worst I've had in a long time. Much has happened that I have failed to mention, some for the better, and much for the worse. The important thing right now is that I still have a job, that Canada is my home and that I am as healthy as I can possibly be right now. I have colleagues and friends that are good people and that I actually give a damn about, and I believe the sentiment is similar on their end.
I have no new year's resolutions, nor do I believe in any of that nonsense. I will however step it up a notch when it comes to my music and compositions. I will also continue to take music theory lessons until it sinks into my fat head.
I have been on hiatus from the music scene this whole year pretty much, yes, shame on me, I know, however I have already researched a new desktop recording studio that I will be investing in very soon. I'm saving up for it as we speak.
For those of you that never have, composing and recording your own tunes is the most rewarding thing you can do. No matter where I am or what I'm doing it never fails to charge me up with a new gusto for life. It truly is an amazing thing, better even than sex, believe it or not. At least for me, which doesn't say much, but few things can compare with a person's creativity, and him or her acting on it.
For those of you that take the occasional peek at this website, I wish you all the very best for the coming year.
Larga Vida y Prosperidad!
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| Christmas, Here we come!
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Posted: Dec 14, 2008
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Well, it's been a little over a month and I have some time off coming up. Plan to look at a home recording studio set up (a proper one) and maybe get some work done to my tat.
Been playing Gears of War 2 and generally keeping myself busy. The first snow fell yesterday and we're expecting temperatures to drop as low as minus 17 with the wind chill factor thrown in. How awesome is that?! Time to pull out the ol' ear muffs!!
Went to see Metallica earlier this month and had a total blast. Our seats were so high up in the nosebleeds that I could hardly make out the guys features but it was a full house at GM Place (almost 20,000 people; I'd never seen it that full before) and when Master of Puppets kicked in the crowd went wild!!
Devil horns and bangin heads!! Dragonforce is coming up at the Croatian Cultural Center on the 19th. Life in general is good...
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| November
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Posted: Nov 11, 2008
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Ello Ello.
'Tis November. The fall month. When the weather gets colder and the trees go bald; when rainfall is relentless and darkness begins at 4.30 in the afternoon.
I like November. It was almost two years ago now that I first arrived here in Vancouver, fresh off the plane and eager to start a new life. And here I am right now, sitting in front of my Vaio on my day off from work and putting this little blog together.
I was just playing World of Goo on my Wii not an hour ago, trying desperately not to let the little buggers fall into the burning fires or get swept up in liquid limbo all the while doing my balancing act. Pretty amazing stylised little game if you ask me. Most fun I've had for fifteen bucks. Well worth it.
I just finished The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon, a fictional novel I picked up a little while ago at the bookstore and regretted purchasing after getting to the halfway point and realising the book had a lot to do with homosexuality. Not that I'm a homophobe or anything but I found it particularly disturbing when the dude started getting particular with the details. I have since donated it to the teeny library in P1 of our building. I right after bought the Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama and been into that a few nights. It was on sale and I figured I should read more about this guy. Interesting stuff so far.
Prior to that I had picked up On Writing by Stephen King, a non-fictional auto-biography and self-help book on writing techniques for aspiring novelists all rolled into one. He even gives a detailed account of his 1999 near death experience when he got hit by a van while out walking in his hometown of Maine. Thoroughly enjoyed that one. Great book, sitting on my bookshelf as we speak. It was Stepehen King in fact, in HIS book, that recommended Michael Chabon books as an example of great writing. As far as writing goes, Mike is spectacular. But when it comes to substance he left me feeling as though I was peering in a world I'd rather not have.. hence visiting P1 and donating a perfectly new book!
Other than that my motivation levels have been non-existant. I have found that my recent attempt at taking music theory lessons to be quite a challenge. You have to remember I never had ANY sort of musical instruction growing up. My playing style is and always was experimental and by ear. Having to re-learn the guitar all over again (and tune it nomally to boot) I've had to dumb myself down and let the instructor instruct. I feel like a little kid picking up the guitar for the first time now. It's a strange feeling. Unfortunatley my confidence levels have also faded completely and this is causing slight concern. I guess different people react differently to instruction. There's so much to learn and very few brain cells absorbing all that material. It's disheartening. I know it shouldn't be, but it's just the way it's rolling.
2008 turned out to be the year I didn't want to swing by. It's almost over but much has happened, more than I care to detail in any blog. Personal problems have loomed, and it some cases reared their ugly heads and slapped me in the face. My lack of inspiration and motivation may have a whole lot to do with this. This however should improve with time I can safely say.
Negativity is not my strong point, never was. If any of you have been watching the news lately the constant rhetoric of doom and gloom is quite overwhelming. The ecomony is the pits! People will be losing their jobs by the hundreds of thousands, yes, right here in Canada! The auto sector is on the verge of collapse and this will never correct itself unless the government bails them out immediately and with billions of dollars! And even THAT may not work... What are we to do?!? Will we all die? Will I be eating from garbage cans in a few months...??
Being one of militant routine and regiment I have for most of the year (before the financial collapse and the biggest daylight thievery ever to take place EVER) forced myself to look after NUMERO UNO. Aka, me.
I have eased up on the smoking quite a bit, can't remember the last time I had a drink, been going to the gym more than regularly and trying desperately to stay in shape and stay healthy. When you reach a certain age, that feeling of being immortal leaves you, and you are left with the cold grim notion of sickness and isolation. Not that I'm an old bastard yet by any means, but it looks like it's just me and I gotta take good care of me cuz otherwise me falls apart, and we don't want that, now do we?
I hope with all my understanding of what's true and what CAN be remedied that 2009 is a better year. For me and for all of you!!
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| Yes We Can!!
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Posted: Nov 5, 2008
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Besides finishing Dead Space on my Xbox 360 today, and doing some shopping at Super Store (I bought some vegetables, chicken cold cuts, yoghurt and cottage cheese amongst other nicknacks) I witnessed something truely extraordinary.
Senator Barack Hussein Obama became President Elect, after a landslide 338 electoral votes versus McCain's 155. I watched his speech on TV as did millions, maybe billions of people around the world and was in complete awe.
By the time Obama was done I had a tear in my eye, I'm not ashamed to say, and I was glowing. I have never experienced something so moving, and something that felt so right, on such a huge scale. A man that looked like he knew what he was talking about and not reading off cue cards. A man we can believe in. What charisma, what intelligence and what honesty. I was speechless. Couldn't help sitting there with a dumb grin on my face knowing full well that another crusty old crooked white politian did NOT take over where Bush left off. Thank the stars.
This is indeed change we can believe in. Thank you Robert Greenwald and Michael Moore and Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert and every other pundit and activist and American patriot that psst did something! and brought to light the injustices and corruption of a failed administration that helped shape this election.
Now if only somebody will snag that bastard Bush on his way out and impeach his old white chimpanzee ass. That would REALLY be something, wouldn't you agree??
Wow. Yes We Can! Yes We Did!!
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| All Hallows Adam and Eve
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Posted: Oct 21, 2008
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Bwah hah hah hah!!
Tis that time of year when all the ghosties and ghoulies come out to play and fondle those poor living souls.
That's great, but what it also means is I gotta look for a costume that doesn't make me look like a reject from the Rocky Horror Show. I was thinking maybe dressing up as a Klingon.
Just had a family member over to visit me for the last couple three weeks so I've been busy driving them around, checking out the sites and being a reasonably good host! I hope they had fun. I know I did...
Brought my JS1000 Ibanez guitar home a couple weeks ago!! Yeap!! It's home now and in my clutches. I am a very, very happy man. After 3 albums and countless hours of noodling I have finally bought myself a wicked, BRAND NEW electric guitar. Life is good.
I hope you have an awesome Halloween. Trick or treat to your heart's content.
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| Alice Cooper in da house!
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Posted: Sep 19, 2008
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Yep, just last night saw Alice Cooper's show at the Vancouver Center for Performing Arts in downtown Vancouver. And wow, what a show!
This was the first time seeing Alice live, so, besides the fact that the guy is 60 years old and been doing this for decades you'd think it would be a little old by now, the whole scary, creepy 'welcome to my nightmare' schtick.
But oh no! Not this guy! When Alice broke into 'I'm Eighteen' and 'School's Out" the crowd went crazy, and throughout the night I was never disappointed with the variety of weird that Alice can put on. From stabbing a rag-doll baby in a tram to being strapped in a straight-jacket and then getting hung from a rope till 'dead', only to come back with his white top-hat and baton to complete the rest of the show, he never drifted too far off from his unique bizarre set.
It was awesome, and for the encore he finished off with Billion Dollar Babies and Poison and wrapped it up, and in closing introduced the three 'undead' girls that were prancing around on stage as his daughters! I thought THAT was pretty cool, keeping it all in the family...
Guitarist Keri Kelly did a bit of shred to satisfy the rock-stars in every one of us, but other that that the hard, rocky 70's roots of Alice Cooper's music shone bright. I had a great time.
Thanks Alice!
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| Death Magnetic
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Posted: Sep 14, 2008
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Yep. Metallica have released their new album, Death Magnetic. And I must say being a huge fan of their earlier stuff especially my all time favourite 'And Justice for All', I all but gave up on these dudes.
I went in to the HMV yesterday and bought the album, hands quivering, and hoped for the best. After the debacle that was St. Anger (which I never purchased btw) I didn't know what to expect. Reviews can be deceiving and never something I really trust until I can hear (and see) it for myself.
And I did. In the car, in the gym with my earbuds in my ears, and at home. And what can I say. Think 'Black' and 'And Justice for All' combined. A little more raw but still not emulating an impromptu garage rehearsal recorded with a 4 track..(see; St. Anger).
One reviewer wrote that this was Metallica's best release in 17 years. And he was right. I like it. I like it a lot. James' vocals are powerful and melodic and Lars, even being the dink that he is, is still an awesome drummer. Kirk, for what it's worth, never revolutionised shred with his chops but he always left his signature solos on his tracks. And he does that a lot this time round. Yep, readers, there is no holdng back here. Lead guitar is littered throughout the album thank the stars, none of this less is more shit they had going on for years (them and every other metal act trying 'new' things).
And you know what else? I juuuust about missed my chance, but at the last minute about 15 minutes into Ticketmaster releasing tickets I bought tickets online to go see Metallica LIVE when they come to Vancouver in December!!!
Woop woop!!
Yeah!! I'm gonna go see them when they come to town in December, and I also bought tickets to see Alice Cooper this month (awesome), the Trans Siberian Orchestra (yes, they're back in November and I'm soooo there) and Dragonforce, epic speed metal meets King Arthur and the Knights of the dragonslayers type thrash fest. With lutes and keyboards. Hell yeah!!
Life is good. Live THE METAL. For THE METAL shall live with you..something like that.
Devil horns!!
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| And so it was..
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Posted: Sep 11, 2008
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Hey mouseketeers,
Guess what I'm doing? Last Monday was my second music theory lesson! That's right, I have decided to take on music theory and take my playing to as high a level as is possible (for me)!
The guy's been an instructor for years and is also in a rock/metal band so that works for me! Obviously his metal background was a must...maybe some extra shred techniques are a-comin' my way!
Guess what else I'm gonna do....go on guess.
No, not buying a franchise. Uh uh, not travelling to the Pacific rim....
C'mon guess!!
No, not shaving my head.
No, not that either. Mmmmmmmmm.
Give up?
OK, I'm buying an IBANEZ JS1000!! Did you get that? YES I AM BUYING AN IBANEZ JS1000!!
For those of you mokes who do NOT know what a JS1000 is, it's probably the world's COOLEST electric guitar. I think, actually, it says that in the catalogue. It may even have won the coolest guitar of all time award, back in 2002.
Yessirreee bob, the Joe Satriani signature series 1000. It's just awesome and this is the first new electric geetar I have bought. Ever. So, a bit more excited than the average, umm, 'joe'. I have an order on one and it should be here this month! How's that for super-duper?!?
God have mercy.
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| Old radio interview
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Posted: Aug 26, 2008
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Wassaaaa!
Just found an old radio interview I did in 2004 on 99.3 Radio 2 in Dubai with DJ and friend Jeff Price. Thought I'd put it up on my site for those of you who just may wanna give it a listen...please check out my SONGS list and just click on it to hear it.
Isn't the internet grand?
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| Michael Madsen
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Posted: Aug 25, 2008
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So look up at the title of this post and you'll guess correctly who dropped by our dealership yesterday. Yessiree, Mr. Michael Madsen of Reservoir Dogs, Sin City and Kill Bill fame.
Pretty cool huh? Looks like he's filming some TV movie up in Maple Ridge and hence is spending some time in Vancouver. I didn't get a chance to say hello but a couple of my colleauges got autographs and pictures. One dude thought he was Mickey Rourke and was gonna ask him if he was. Good thing I slapped some sense into him.
Shweet!
On another note, anybody watch the Angry Video Game Nerd? This dude is hilarious,and his show has been broadcast over the internet for a few years now. Boy has this guy ever gained international popularity with his old school video game reviews and his zany antics. Check it out. It's really good, and the music is done by a guy by the name of Chris Holland. And THIS guy is a shredder extraordinaire! He blows me away, check out his myspace.com site and you'll see what I mean. The really cool stuff is his metal versions of old video game soundtracks, like the early Final Fantasy games and some other oldies. Very cool.
Besides that, I now have a crown!! Went to the dentist and got that sorted out finally after years of messing with it. Cost a pretty penny but it looks like it was meant to be there a long time ago. I feel kinda like a cyborg now too with this metal thing hinged in my jaw.
Super duper.
Oh and I now have a myspace page too! Please take a look, just go to http://www.myspace.com/samkaz and there I am! I'm busy updating the site so bear with me...
Cheerio.
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| Guantanamo Bay
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Posted: Aug 23, 2008
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Hey again,
Not to whine any more, but I will anyway, I recently watched Harold and Kumar's Escape from Guantanamo Bay.
I'd seen the first Whitecastle movie and thought this would be more of the same. Boy was I wrong.
Firstly the movie is pretty unfunny. I mean it's all about awkward situations and outlandish plots. Which definitly on some levels CAN work. In this case though, it barely does. Besides the gorey toilet humour (within the first 5 minutes you have Kumar beating off in bed and then squirting all over himself...wtf?? How is that even funny I dunno) and explicit nudity (dicks and twat abound) and basically you have it. A very crude, in some cases disgusting 'comedy' with a dumb ass UNFUNNY story and a lot of praise for marijuana. Neil Patrick Harris has a short but amusing role as a drugged up straight guy looking to get laid, which does redeem some of the nonsense, and some of the stereoypes in the movie, and people accused because of stereotypes may make you smile but other than that, zip.
If you're 17 and always high, sure you'll enjoy the humour and laugh out loud. If you're anyone who actually enjoys good, more mature humour (anyone remember Peter Sellers? How about Black Adder? The Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder movies? Bill Murray? How about Chris Tucker? Or you know what? Even Will Ferrell!) then stray away from this fiasco. I haven't seen anything done in such poor taste for a while. Even though the actual story is supposed to be in light of US politics and the absurdity of it all, it strays way too far.
All the toilet humour nowadays. It's a huge fad. The more raunchy and realistic, the better. There's never been so much jissum on TV and frankly it's appalling. Whatever happened to real comedy? Oh, and class...?
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| Call of Duty 4
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Posted: Aug 13, 2008
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That's right boys, lock and load!!
Take down Mow-Hamed!
So I just bought a used copy of Call of Duty 4, and while I must admit it IS a fun game, with amazing visuals and sound, you know what else I noticed? Well, it still is INCREDIBLY, blatantly discriminatory. Set in a generic city in the "Middle East" (they never mention WHERE in the Middle East) you are pitted against the evil forces of some dictator and his cronies. The game is littered with Arabic voicing and characters and I don't think I have ever experienced a game that allows you to kill cookie-cutter after stereo-typical Aay-Rab on such a huge scale.
I'm sure previous renditions allowed for such gameplay, but this latest version really spreads the anti-arab propoganda that so plagues the Western world today.
Oh, wait I forgot to mention, you can kill Russians too..
Simprify!!
There's even a black and white night vision sequence from a (Blackhawk?)helicopter that puts you behind heavy artilary and gets you to mow down 'insurgents' whilst, of course, avoiding a church. The snickering and commentary everytime you make a kill are pretty chilling.
"That's a good kill - I'm seeing little pieces down there.." chimes the OIC.
"Heheh, looks like we got a runner." And then laughter when you light him up.
I remember a CNN report showing video footage of a night-vision targeting system camera in black and white (very similar to the sequence in the game) that drew condemnation for the same kind of outright disregard for human life. That part in the game actually drew some criticism from some game reviewers, one of which put this on paper; (and I quote) "it's vile mockery of humanity's darkest moments, when good men have become so warped by the atrocities they've committed that they can laugh at the cold-blooded massacre of people trying to defend their homeland from an invading force."
"Ka-boom!!"
Yes, let's get back to basics; this IS just a game. Very Hollywoodish in it's grand budget and scale, and ultimately it's direction and presentation.
Now, keep this in mind too. The game is, actually, pretty awesome! Especially the multiplayer, where you can pick off fellow idiots with a couple shots online. Sooooo, where do I stand on this, you may be thinking? Is my point moot?...
Well, I like the game, and me being from the Persian Gulf originally maybe makes me a bit more sensitive, but there's no denying the motive's behind the franchise. And your average juvinile (and not so juvinile) delinquant nowadays has a hard time distinguishing fact from fiction, i.e. reality from videogames.
Maybe the developers should make a game where the main campaign (not the friggin' multiplayer) allows you to pick off US Marines with sniper-fire while yelling profanities in Arabic. Maybe that would be cool too. Maybe we could target Haliburton and plant some C4 over at THEIR headquarters, or maybe arrange a covert operation to assassinate George W. I'm sure the average Joe Budweiser sitting in his grandma's basement would see the funny side of that. Don't you think??
Then maybe I could play as this guy..
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| The Grind
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Posted: Aug 7, 2008
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Went up the Grouse 'Grind' yesterday afternoon with a buddy. Had the day off, so I thought, why not. What most of you don't know is that the Grouse Grind is a notorious trail that leads up to the top of Grouse Mountain in Vancouver. What you also don't know is that this roughly 2.9km trail is what's been called nature's stairmaster; it's like HUGE step after HUGE step, aaalllll the way up. Mostly averaging around 15 degrees but with some parts steeper than 40 degrees. I googled that info, btw. And I'm sure it's true! I mean there were parts where I had to use both my hands and feet to climb up. What fun.
I tell you what, by the time I was a quarter of the way done I thought I was gonna have a heart attack. This was, without a doubt, one of the hardest workouts I have EVER had, and I'm a gym rat too! I just about shit myself. The ascention is so steep, and the 'steps' (mainly shaved stones and rocks) so large and awkward in size that's it's essential you pace yourself carefully as you climb up. I don't think I ever heard my heart beat so loud in my head before...
Looks innocent enough right?!
I mean, just look at that!!
These pictures don't do it justice. Long story short, it took me an hour and seventeen minutes to get up top, and that's with HARDLY any break (my buddy made sure of that, thanks LOADS man..) and it takes the average first-timer about 90 minutes, so not too bad. Boy, did I ever need a nap after THAT!
Whatever the case, I think I may, JUST MAYBE, go back and try the ol' Grind again. Yes, it kicked my ass up and down, and maybe not tomorrow. Maybe not next week. But soon. And next time I'll be sure to pack more Gatorade and not my flashlight and survival knife that weigh a ton.
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| 'sup?
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Posted: Aug 2, 2008
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I was standing in my balcony yesterday smoking a cigarette and I saw an old man walking in the parkway. He must have been in his seventies. He was wearing a beret or something and a rain jacket and he was walking with a cane, pacing himself up and down the street. I was there for as long as it takes to smoke a cigarette, and I saw this old guy just slowly making his way along, obviously pretty carefully with his cane, and it looked like he was miles away in thought. I only live on the third floor so I could see him pretty clearly.
Man, someday that'll be me. Going for walkies, thinking about times past, probably contemplating about all that happened in my life, and wondering when my day will come. Normally you notice these things and think nothing of it but for some reason I noticed him, he couldn't see me cuz he was too busy concentrating on his steps but I could see him and maybe I guess I wanted to help him or something. Felt kinda bad for him, he looked pretty alone down there amongst all the rest of the people going about their business. And then he was gone, obviously got to where he wanted, or had enough of the walk. And then I finished my smoke and went back inside but not before that image of this old man was fused in my head.
One day I'll get there, we all will, and I hope that when I do I'll have lived a full life and my regrets won't keep me up at night.
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| And the winner is..
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Posted: Jul 28, 2008
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So being an Amazon junkie I decide to pick up a bit more music, hence I purchase the new Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock (yes, quite a mouthful), the new Paul Gilbert - Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar, and the new Disturbed - Indestructible.
And I like it! I like it all! The Satriani tracks are typical satch, a few tunes that lasted quite a while in my head as I would drive back and forth from work; the Gilbert stuff is virtoso power guitar stuff with ambient, soothing slower pieces in between making it a great all rounder. And the new Disturbed, excellent, great heavy rock riffs and chugging guitars and I've always liked David Draiman's vocals so no issues there whatsoever. All in all, great music for the car or the gym, and anywhere in between. If you are in need of good, powerful head music, I highly recommend the above mentioned; pick up a copy if you don't believe me!
Cheers!
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| Look!!! A new look!
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Posted: Jul 26, 2008
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Like a home that needs a new faucet, and maybe an occasional vacuum, so comes the time when one must RE-DO the old, itchy and pest-infested. And so, due to the high volume of ever increasing traffic (I think I'm at 4 clicks a day) we here at the enterprises of SAMKAZEROONI.NET decided to RENEW the old, dusty website and put in the NEW, ALL IMPROVED HOME OF ROCK, aka my personal page on the net. 'Please, enjoy' I say, with wild gesticulating and a modest bow. Oh and wipe your feet before you enter.
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| What up people?
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Posted: Jun 24, 2008
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Well, if there are more than two of you out there you may have noticed I have not been updating my NEWS column often lately. Main reason being I was trying to sort out a nasty trojan virus that's been lurking on my laptop for the last couple months. I finally rectified the problem after many torturous evenings after work plugging away at it, and I can tell you right now I don't think I was ever more frustrated than having to deal with a nasty virus that just wouldn't go the hell away. I thought this whole thing was already sorted out! Turns out it wasn't, at all. It slowed down my laptop to a crawl, wouldn't allow certain programs to function properly and was just a general pain in the ass. I'm sure you've been there, so you know how it goes.
Anyway, not to jinx myself but it looks like all may be well for the time being...and boy will I remember this for the next time I download any 'free' movies!
Never again!
Hope all is well. Life here has been trying, laptop aside, and the music scene has been on hold for a while.
But don't fret mouseketeers, I am setting up a little recording workstation in my apartment and soon many a NEW awesome tune will be born!
Gotta stay positive. May the force be with me.
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| Tonic.
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Posted: May 12, 2008
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You know, when things are a bit on the gloomy side, there's nothing that feels more like chugging on a Zelda-like tonic than getting a CD review. And a well-written one at that.
Mark Lennard at the The Metal Forge.com just put together a review of each of my albums and I got an email from Simon Milburn telling me to check em out.
Go ahead. Don't be afraid. Go to my reviews tab at the top of this page and you will be relocated to my REVIEWS section, whereby with the magic of TECHNOLOGICAL SCREEN TELEPORTATION (another web page) you will be able to read and SCROLL through these pretty cool reviews.
Lemme know what you think. Kick arse!
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| Takes a while to eat a Chocodile!
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Posted: April 29, 2008
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Anybody remember that? Those lovely Hostess twinky-type chocolate covered cream-filled sponge cakes that ensured about 5 minutes of blissful indulgence? Well either you do or you don't. Guess it all depends on how old you are. What about that Hershey's commercial, showing some dude sitting on a horse on the edge of a cliff with some random 80's singer singing about the Great American Chocolate Bar...? Wasn't that waaay back enough for you...?? Anybody remember Eight-Is-Enough?? With Adam Rich?? And Willie Aames?? Holy crap we're riding the 80's train all over again!
Been gone a while. Never mind that stuff up there. Just spewing.
Work's been hysterically busy, I've had the stomach flu and had to take the day off work a couple days ago, wrenched my wrist bout three weeks ago (as well, sheesh) at work pushing bikes and didn't lay off it like the doctor'd ordered so it's wrapped up again cuz it's so damn painful. That kinda sucks. Haven't been to the gym for the last few days as well cuz of a combo wrist pain / nausea, tummy ache which hasn't been fun. At all.
But things could be much worse. That, my friends, is always a guarantee. And I know that which is why I lay awake some nights and look up and thank my lucky stars for everything I got. Good or bad. Obviously thanking more for the good stuff than the bad.
Picked up Paul Gilbert's 'Get out of my Yard' and Annihilator's 'Metal' albums through Amazon.com which I highly, highly recommend. Jeff Waters rules the guitar with his technical prowess and explosive riffage and Paul Gilbert is a virtuoso in the same league as any of the greats, Vai and Yngwie included. Do yourselves a favor and pick yourselves a copy up today if you're into that kind of savage awesomeness.
And if not, well, I hear Madonna's got a new album. Good luck with that.
Picked up as well some more HD DVDs that are obviously on sale now, now that HD DVD is officially dead. But no worries. I love the prices and the picture on my flatscreen and I'm sure one day HD DVD WILL RETURN!!! Mark my words! Some European company will pick up where Toshiba dropped the ball and come back and kill off any chances of Blur Ray taking over the HD market!! The time will be soon!! You'll see! And then you'll all come running to me for deals on my used, no longer in print HD DVDs and I'll sell them each for $139.99 cuz no-one else had the foresight to stock up on these incredible deals!
Deep down inside, you know it too. Maybe I'll work you out a deal out of sympathy. Depends on how I feel that day. I'll have to see.
Just ordered myself a Sony laptop (looks like I don't own one anymore, apparently) also through Amazon (can you see a pattern here?) so I've been waiting patiently for that to arrive through UPS. Yep, pre-loaded with Windows XP Media Center, not that Vista baloney that's been causing more chaos than good recently. Hence my purchase over the internet; no non-Vista systems are avalaible anymore through your local electronic shops. Which sucks. Huge.
Hopefully it won't arrive like a box of broken glass either. Maybe I should've opted for that insurance, now that I think about it...
Hope you've all been well since I last wrote. Yep, both of you. Been keeping out of trouble?
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| Loose Change Final Cut
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Posted: Mar 4, 2008
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Met some people at an ultra-light airplane exhibition a couple days ago while I was out there promoting Harley and they turned me on to this, Loose Change, the Final Cut, an independantly made documentary about the 9/11 incidents and the reason why thousands of people in the US and across the globe have raised questions into what actually took place that fateful day. I guess watching those little turbo-prop planes flying back and forth stirred images of young trainees preparing to hijack a plane and fly it into a building..?? No idea. But the subject did come up...!
I'm like the next guy and always intrigued by so-called conspiracy theories but watching this and taking in all the facts does not fail to leave an impression. If it was any other administration most likely the people watching this 2 hour documentary would just shake it off, but when it comes to Bush and his cronies the question does definitley arise; was the US government capable of such a dispicable act? When you piece together all that took place prior and post 9/11, does it start to look like a well thought out plan?
Absolutely I say!!
Take a look; for the 2 hours or so of film I think I never blinked once....pretty damn interesting...
Go USA!!
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| MONSTER JAM
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Posted: Feb 4, 2008
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You've probably heard of MONSTER JAM, where MONSTER TRUCKS trample and spit on little sedans and make lots of noise and jump 20 feet in the air and come crashing down and break an axle and still keep going cuz it's crazy and the crowd loves it and the trucks are spitting fire and roaring so loud you can't hear yourself suck on your cola-flavoured slurpy and the cameras are flashing and people are cheering and kids are screaming and crying they wanna go home but they CAN'T; cuz the MONSTER TRUCKS won't let them.
If you haven't, well, that's where I was a couple of nights ago with a buddy, and yeehaaww did we have a good ol' time. Captain Insano never made it so that was a bit dissapointing, but nontheless...
There were other trucks, and the best part of the night was when Maximum Destruction and Grave Digger went head to head and Max D came out the victor. 'Twas certainly a night to remember...
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| The last couple days.
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Posted: Jan 31, 2008
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Lots of snow! Look! Things have been pretty shweet with the weather, lots of frost and snow on the ground lately. How awesome is that...? Makes you wanna yell out loud and stomp your feet in the slush!
Here's what it looked like yesterday on the way to work..
Yep, I was driving at the same time too, while taking pictures. Talk about stupid!
Makes for a real cosy setting, in the car with the heating on, coffee in my coffee mug, in my coffee cup holder, and some Boston cranked up on the radio...yessiree. Could you ask for anything more, really?
Speaking of Boston, and having nothing to do with it, anybody remember this??
Had this poster up of Barbarian, the Ultimate Warrior on my wall when I was just barely a teen. Just found it on an old games website and I was like "no way!" It was a video game on my old trusty Commodore 64, back in the day. A lot of you bums have probably never heard of the machine, but 20 years ago it was the equivalent of an XBox, only bulkier and with shittier graphics. Oh, and you loaded up games on cassette! That's right, CASSETTES! I couldn't have the floppy disk drive, so the cassette drive had to do. Yep, and every so often the games would load up and you'd have tons of after school fun.
And that, my inquisitive friends was waaaay cool back then. And I had a poster up of BARBARIAN, THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR, with Maria Whittaker (from the Sun's page 3) on the front looking super hot and tasty, and some muscle-bound unknown dude with a bad wig and suddenly all my loser buddies would wanna come over to my place to check out my super cool poster and my video gaming.
Ahh, yes. We were young once too.
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| The ongoing saga..
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Posted: Jan 25, 2008
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So it continues. Molar's still in trouble. Been back and forth to the dentist's several times and things ARE getting better, but real slowly. This is the most I've frequented a dentist's office in my ENTIRE LIFE! Yes, my ENTIRE LIFE! In capitals!
The weather has gotten pretty icy the last little while. I think it dropped down to minus 6 or 7 this week. Which I think is sweet. Nothing like frost for a brisk morning..
Sent out 10 CD packages to college campus radio stations all over Canada to help promote my albums and the music they contain! Let's see if that helps with a bit of exposure..I hear the college campuses are pretty finnecky bout what they play so let's hope they like my action! Let's hope they can DIG MY ROCK.
Down here I have a picture of Tom Scholz. Guitarist/vocal backup singer and composer extraordinaire for the band known as...wait for it.......BOSTON! This guy is awesome. And extremely underrated. I have been a huge fan of Boston for years and I love his sound and his style of playing. More than a Feeling, Peace of Mind, Rock and Roll Band and some other hits have been playing on our internet radio system here at work and I can never get enough of those powerful, classic hits. Tom Scholz, you rule dude. And I put up a picture of you too, cuz I can!!
Here you go...soak it up people.
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| Happy new year 2008!
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Posted: Jan 2, 2008
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Hello, 2008! Nice to finally see you...jeese where does the time go...? Not so long ago we were a whole year behind!
And so it is. 2008. What plans do you have for me, oh new year? Hopefully some more hits on iTunes and some more sales on cdBaby and Amazon.com. And maybe some cool games. And did I make any resolutions? No, not really. Maybe to cut out things in my life that make me unhappy...? Yeah, that could be a resolution. Sounds pretty good to me. And maybe get back into the gym like GI Joe, full of gusto?! Absolutely! Sounds bout right.
The new year rang in pretty quiet for me. Watched some good movies..Eastern Promises, Rush Hour 3 (Hell, why not? Chris Tucker is awesome), played and finished some amazing games (Mass Effect, Assasin's Creed), bought some new albums, Serj Tankian's Elect the Dead and an older Meshuggah album, Catch 33. What else...?
Teeth are getting better, healing fast (for my age, I've been told. Like I'm a 100 or something), bad elbow seems to have gotten better since I've been outta the gym for a while. Hmmmmm. Can't think of anything else right now, but you now what? This is gonna be a kickin' year. And not because that's what's supposed to be said at the start of every new year, but because that's the way I want it. God help me.
Have a good one.
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| I dunno, you know?
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Posted: Dec 22, 2007
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Maybe it's just this time of year.
Maybe it's the fact that I've just recently had my wisdom teeth out and a broken molar repaired temporarily (that broke again today) that was supposed to hold until I get my root canal done in early Jan. The pain and drugs certainly didn't help.
Maybe it's the fact that I have no blood relatives around me, or no old friends nearby to speak of.
Maybe it's the fact that I've been away from the gym for nearly 3 weeks (and counting) to allow my mouth to heal and for the spasms in my lower jaw muscles to subside. The muscle relaxants hinder workouts too. Duh.
Maybe it's that pulled muscle in my neck that I woke up with that emits a sharp pain every time I try to turn my head left.
Maybe it's the fact that certain customers out of nowhere have decided to write unflattering emails to my superiors complaining about my recent conduct at work, which, I find, totally mind-boggling since I cannot recollect when I was last rude or unprofessional to a client. Good work ethics and practices chimed in by my superiors don't necessarily help either. I'm not that proud or arrogant not to take advice, but I've done this long enough to know when it's called-for.
Maybe it's a combination of all of this; a dull pain, a constant sickly, drugged feeling, frustration at work when all I'm trying to do is my best, a lack of really connecting to people that have known me for a while, a home life that continues to amaze me with it's emptyness and tediousness, and a lack of physical activity and skies that darken at 4PM; maybe it is all of this combined that has made this festive time of year one of the WORST I've had the displeasure of sitting through. Emphasis on SITTING. I haven't done much else with myself at home; and stewing in my funk doesn't really provide for great Christmas card fodder.
Wow. Isn't that a long laundry list of disdain...? If ever!
By the way, Merry Christmas. Happy New Year. Season's Greetings...yadda, yadda, yadda..
Bah. Humbug.
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Just got back from the dentists office an hour ago. Had two lower wisdom teeth extracted and I must say, I've had better days. For sure.
It wouldn't have been so bad except the guy hit an artery while cutting back the left lower gum and he couldn't stop the bleeding, so they had to use electricity. That's right. He electro-shocked the gum to stop it bleeding!! In the middle of him yanking at my teeth! And I felt every volt! That was nasty. Just the nastiest thing ever.
Probably one of the worst things I've gone through lately, that and sitting through the last Pirates of the Caribbean movie, on DVD. Which I did last night. And if I had a choice between sitting through another 3 hours of incoherent storyline and watching Keira Knightly's stupid pouty face, between that and the dentist's chair, I'd probably opt for the electro-shock. Less painful.
I will be miserable for the next couple weeks or so, or until the stitches come out. Hope that codine kicks in soon....
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| Van Halen rocks Vancouver
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Posted: Dec 6, 2007
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Yes. T'was a night of many a mullett and patched-up jean jackets, for it was the coming of the rock knights of days long passed; the coming of the order of Van Halen.
Van Halen at GM Place in Vancouver, December 5th. When I saw the email from Ticketmaster.com I didn't skip a beat, didn't question the validity of the message. Out with the ol' credit card and bam! One ticket please thank you very much.
And what a show. Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Alex Van Halen and Wolfgang Van Halen (Eddie's 16 year old son) lit up the night. The performances were amazing, even considering Eddie's bout with tongue cancer. He looked a little worse for wear, but he still had the chops to bring 14000 people to life with his signature techniques and spirited rock energy. David Lee Roth belted out the hits ceremoniously, Hot for Teacher, Running with the Devil, Dance the Night Away, and Jump of course to name a few of many. He looked good for his age, especially considering it was 22 years since his last outing with them. It was like he was never away!
My only gripe was the sound; the PA system and amps were turned up waaay too loud to the point where it distorted parts of the music and some tunes you could just barely make out. Especially closer towards the end of the 2 hour concert. Performances, however, were extremely tight, Wolfgang showed he inherited his dad's talents and Alex's drum solos and Eddie's guitar solos were a sight to behold. And a joy to hear.
All said and done, it was Van Halen. Live, in concert.
Wouldn't have missed it for the world.
Thank you Eddie!
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| Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow....
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Posted: Dec 1, 2007
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Yes folks. First day of actual snowfall today, already a couple inches and everything is whited out. How cool is that?? We got Santa in today at work for pictures (for the kids, and the freaks) and the Christmas spirit and cheer is flowing like so much eggnog.
Speaking of which, went down to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra last night at GM place!
And what a show indeed. Imagine this; a black dude reciting prose, Christmas carols, a broadway type show with singing and dancing, a full on orchestra, and metal guitars! That, my friends, is the TSO. Trans SIberian Orchestra. And the lights, laser show, pyrotechnics and choreography were the best I have seen. Literally. The sound was amazing. These guys spared no expense and put on the best damn neo-classical metal orchestral opera (with poems) I have ever seen. I know, sounds totally weird but it all works. And all the musicians, virtuosos. Al Pitrelli (ex Alice Cooper, Savatage, Megadeth) is an incredible guitarist and he headlined the whole thing, and his metal work along with the amazing violinists and pianists (one of which was his wife, the female one..) was dazzling. I even had some old lady sat next to me and she never failed with the standing ovations. All of FOUR times. There was something for everyone, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Epic stuff, if you haven't seen them, (and this was their first time in Vancouver) you need to check them out next time they're in your neighborhood.
My only complaint, I have to say, was the excess cheese of the poetry/spoken word recital, in between every set this dude would talk about Bethlehem and baby Jesus and angels and Christmas. And the broadway type songs were also Christmas themed. Not that I have a problem with that, but EVERY set? People were getting a little brave and telling him to shutup near the end of it. The second half of the act was definitly better, less season's greetings stuff and more epic orchestral metal concoctions.
So I guess Christmas carols, a CHRISTIAN broadway type show with singing and dancing, a full on orchestra, and metal guitars about sums it up. Quite a mouthful, and believe me, a very intense show to watch too. In the best of ways!
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| Yes, I know
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Posted: Nov 21, 2007
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Ok, so I haven't written for a while. A month to be exact. I am aware, I'll have you know.
Been biding my time with sending out CDs for reviews (got one new one from Roughedge.com in the 'reviews' section, check it out) and with work and stuff and just didn't have any new 'news' to report. More should follow; I'll print them as they come in...
End of this month I got the Trans Siberian Orchestra to go to then on December 5th I see Van Halen!! So good things are a plenty!! And just bought tickets for the Monster Jam in February!! That's right, monster trucks baby! Now THAT's gonna be a real hoot! I gotta make sure I buy my rubber pointy finger and beer hat asap.
Picked up Super Mario Galaxy, Mass Effect and Assasin's Creed all in the last 2 weeks. 'Tis that time of year, and with the holiday season comes plenty of gaming goodness. As you can probably imagine I'll be tucked right in too.
Today marks a year I've lived in Vancouver. You know what? Like the McDonald's ad tagline, I'm lovin' it. Best place in the whole damn world. Yessiree...
Unfortunately in the next few weeks or so I have to arrange for two wisdom teeth to come out too. That kinda sucks ass, but it's nothing I can avoid. Nothing I'm looking forward to I can tell you that right now. I anticipate a lot of pudding and soup. Maybe a slurpee or two.
Live long and prosper.
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| And so, another update..
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Posted: Oct 21, 2007
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Well, as you do in Canada you go and see the Canucks, and so I did. Went down to GM Place and witnessed the Vancouver Canucks get throttled by the LA Kings. The venue was awesome though and I did a lot of cheering and booing for most of the hour or so we were there. Quite a bit more booing than I had expected. Lots of fun though! I think the Canucks just ain't very good. Oh well...
And last night witnessed the legend himself, Mr. Ozzy Osbourne at GM Place LIVE!! Now THAT was a show. Rob Zombie opened up for Ozzy, and I must say, never was too into his stuff, but great stage setup, with the demon head and the choreography and the dancing girls and the weird music videos playing on huge screens. He puts on quite a show!!
Ozzy, of course, does something quite a bit different and if you've ever heard an Ozzy song you'd know what I mean. They even played Fire in the Sky, one of my all time Ozzy favourites and by his own admission one they haven't played live for years. Zakk Wylde defines coolness in the flesh; the guy is HUGE, I mean he dwarfed the other Zombie guitarists and with his long hair and Jesus beard he looks like he's out there to battle the Unholy with his Les Paul. That dude is waaaayy impressive. And yeah, he's got the chops to back it up, no problem. He ROCKED. And Ozzy ROCKED. I think we ALL ROCKED at the venue last night. If you missed it, you suck.
And huge news again, Tim Schafer has just released the goods on his new game project....check it out....
OMG!! How cool is that?! I can't wait....a heavy metal adventure? It's like taking everything I love and wrapping it into a big ball and covering it with peanut butter and coconut sprinkles. I couldn't ask for more.
And yes, just so you puppies know copies of Delve are being set up as we speak at Amazon, iTunes, HMV.ca and a whack of other online and retail outlets. You can pick up a copy at CDBaby.com as well. That's right, I rock a little too!!Support the axemen!! We need to eat too!! And to save up for Brutal Legend!!
God have mercy on us all. It is the YEAR of ROCK.
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| DELVE into DELVE
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Posted: Oct 2, 2007
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Ladies and gentlepants here ye here ye..
DELVE has ARRIVED!! You have been forewarned!! Prepare to do battle!! With yourselves!!
The new project has finally come together and is complete. We have come full circle. My third album is a physically maleable item; I can reach out and hug it now. Thank the heavens! And the guys at Indiepool!
Currently I am scrambling to get copies out to Fossil, CD Baby, friends, family, reviewers and whoever else I feel may be incomplete without a copy of DELVE. Life is good. I am also in the process of updating broadjam and other sites affiliated with yours truely.
In other news MY ALBUM is OUT! Go out and buy a copy, it will complete you.
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| Humanity
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Posted: Sep 28, 2007
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The new Scorpions album...if you're into the old school rock (slightly modernised) then totally go out and pick up this gem of an album. Being the monsters of rock they are and doing it for over 30 years is a testament to their legacy. They were one of the first bands that had a big influence on me and the more albums they make, the better! Mathias Jabs rooolez!!
Support the scene. Buy Humanity!!
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| Deathproof OMG.
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Posted: Sep 27, 2007
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Ok, I'm a Tarantino fan like the next guy and loved From Dusk till Dawn and Jackie Brown and Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs etc. but holy mackeral his latest offering, I must say, was a total waste of my money and time. Yep, I got two words fer ya; gar-bage.
If you want to watch a movie about random hip chicks talking pointless crap for an hour and fifteen minutes and then watch a cheesy car chase that ends up destroying two perfectly good Mopar muscle cars, then be my guest. That's Deathproof in a nutshell.
I think ol Quentin's gotten a little smug with his direction and all the self-parody and 70's arty-style filmaking has gotten old, fast. No wonder the reviews sucked. I was about ready to throw that DVD off my balcony by the time the credits rolled. Jeese....! You wanna smoke fewer banana leaves Quen.
Later...
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| Yeah!!
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Posted: Sep 26, 2007
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So it all sounds like a great time, right? Going to concerts, playing video games, recording awesome tracks, just biding my time and having a blast. If only you grease monkeys knew what was really going on behind the scenes....wouldn't sound so great. But this is not a reality show, so don't expect me to make you bums feel better by depicting a possibly unpleasant picture of my own life, thereby automatically improving yours.
Saying that though.....
Halo 3 came out yesterday and it's AWESOME!!! Yep, now that Bioshock is offically completed (just in time too) and the Legend of Zelda TP has come to an end, who comes a-knockin' on my door? Oh, but it's none other than the Master Chief!! Come to do some ASS-WHOOPIN'! And indeed what a mighty experience H3 is proving to be....tremendous.
In other news, finally got my motorcycle license transfered over and am all set to ride the streets of Vancouver. Driver's, beware! Only thing I need now is an actual motorcycle.
CDs are all paid for and on their way!! Rejoice! Should be here very soon. Expect to be really excited! And how!
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| KillRhythm CD launch
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Posted: Sep 19, 2007
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Went down last night to the Roxy to watch one of my colleauges (who happens to be the bass player for local rock band KillRhythm!!!) kick ASS on stage! It was their new CD release party, so it was totally packed and the band put on a great show for all....Oh yeah!
Had an alright time...must say it feels pretty awkward standing around with a drink in your hand trying to make small talk over loud music again. Haven't done that for years....haven't missed much at all and even though some of the staff were there I kinda felt outta place. Good thing these 'parties' don't come round too often....
As for the show, it was well worth it to go down and support the local troup. Bought a CD and T-shirt too so I can now say I am officially a KillRhythm fan! Woohoo!!
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| Steve Vai Concert
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Posted: Sep 18, 2007
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OMG!! Went to see Steve Vai live at the Commodore Ballroom night before last. Holy smokes....if you've never seen him live before, and I hadn't, it's a genuinely unreal experience.
No one ever, and I mean ever, has mastered the use of feedback like this guy....I've never heard anything so heart-piercing in my life. It was beautiful, truely. And boy oh boy can this dude ever play!! When the show was over, and I'm talking 2 and a half hours worth, complete with electric violinists and all, I could say nothing. I was completely speechless. I just slowly got in line and headed for the car, all zombie-ish, only contemplating getting home and throwing my guitar off a cliff.
Yep, it was THAT good. Steve Vai; one of the few true greats left.
R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
Next up; Ozzy Osbourne and Rob Zombie at GM Place, Vancouver!!! See u there!!
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| Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to press we go!
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Posted: Sep 7, 2007
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Yeah you heard right mouseketeers!! We are in the PRESS PRINT stages of the album as we speak! All the artwork has been proofed and we are a-go!! Yay!
On a more serious note....we are at printing stage with the new album.
And, finally...we are now printing my album. Expect a beautiful shrink-wrapped example in the next couple three weeks photgraphed and copy-pasted onto this website!!
Can you bear the anticipation?!? Brown paper bags all round?? WE ARE NOW AT PRINTING STAGE!! God have mercy!!
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| And....
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Posted: Aug 29, 2007
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We're off!! As of yesterday the artwork and mastered CD is on it's way to Indiepool, Toronto for a-printin'! I must say it's a relief to finally have the stuff done, dusted and in the near launch stages. Couple more weeks and I'll be peddlin' CDs to your hearts content. Few more takers wouldn't hurt either..
And as for life in Canada...the weather here is a beautiful 25 degrees and the air smells like pine. It's just awesome. You should drop by sometime...see what I'm yapping about.
Ciao.
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| ((((Bioshock))))
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Posted: Aug 23, 2007
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OK. Yes it's happening this month, so relax....this whole paycheck thing wouldn't be so bad if I had something left over at the end of every month. Dealing with a dude by the name of Lauren over at Indiepool who'll be changing the text around on the album sleeve a tad to bring the album details up to speed. This will be happening today or tomorrow. I also know you've heard this before....
Bioshock for the Xbox 360. Two words................ Holy. Toledo. Hold onto your pants you crazy jive monkeys cuz THIS GAME WILL ROCK YOUR WORLD. Talk about insane gameplay...you owe it to yourselves. Trust me. Really...it's just awesome. Can't get enough of it right now....probably will in a few weeks but right now it's ROCKING MY WORLD! YOU KNOW??!
Other than that not much else is on the go...work has been fine and told my bro to go out and buy Symphony X. Just cuz.
Over and out.
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| Symphony
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Posted: Aug 9, 2007
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I am setting up a schedule with Indiepool Canada to print my Cds and distribute them all across Canada...pretty cool huh. Looking like the middle of the month..just waiting for some money to come in but things should be rockin' quicker than you can say Yngwie J. Malmsteen.
As for new stuff, you bums should definitley check out the new Symphony X, Paradise Lost. Holy creoley but is this stuff awesome. If you want killer riffs and epic prog metal, this is for you! Michael Romeo rules!!
Checked out the 300 movie, against my better judgement and the wishes of most of my Iranian buddies, just to see what all the fuss was about. Jeese man, I didn't know that ancient Persians looked like full-on Africans, or that they were all transvestites and 'boy lovers'. If it wasn't for all the slow-motion 'Spartan' 6-packs and action shots the movie'd probably only be 20 minutes long. What a waste of money. And I only rented the DVD too...
Understandably the movie is based on a graphic novel by Frank Miller, but for those who cannot tell the difference between fact and fiction (most of the USA) people could be misled into thinking Persians are actually African, or primarily evil and perverse and into dudes. Actually.....wait a minute...............don't they already...??
You know what? The points moot already. Cheerio....more news coming your way soon....
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| Woohoo! We're done!!
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Posted: Aug 1, 2007
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Hey! Yep, the album is FINALLY complete! All the mastering is now done and I have the finished copy sitting right here in front of me!! Pretty cool?? Oh hell yeah!
After over a year since the project started I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. All of the crap I went through has finally paid off. I have already contacted the printing company it looks like I'll be using and things will be underway as soon as I can get 1500 smackers together.....
Am I out of the woods yet? Nope.....is this good news? Absolutely! A step closer is a step closer....and that last step was a doozy. More info as it materializes will come your way...
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| Ola..
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Posted: Jul 19, 2007
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Hey again.....Systematic Chaos, Dream Theatre's latest offering is balls to the wall awesome pseudo-metal prog rock that'll rattle your bones and make you shit yourself. I highly recommend you bums picking up a copy...you WILL NOT regret it. Check it!
Going to see Graemme this Sunday so we should be rockin' pretty soon good people...I will fill you in on the details as they come to be..
Ciao folks.
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| News flash!
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Posted: Jul 12, 2007
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I am now working for Harley-Davidson here in Vancouver. Holy mackerel! What a trip! I am now where I wanna be, and boy does it ever beat selling cars!
I have a new dude by the name of Stephan working on the intro to Junction Metropolis and I found out that printing 500 Cds in wrapped jewel cases will set me back near 1500 smackers. Oh boy. Nobody said recording albums was cheap, but, you know, I gotta pay Graemme too. Just so you know the delay isn't on my part; Graemme's been ultra busy with other projects and travelling and stuff and I'm at the mercy of his schedule till I get the final mastering version done and paid for. Don't panic people, the tracks you have been longing for (with pictures of yours truely and some awesome artwork courtesy of Alex Dubus) will be available in the very, very near future. Either that or my name is Mud. Sam Mud. Which doesn't particularly have a pleasant ring to it either.
Peace sells and I'm buying,
Sam.
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| Yeah I know...
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Posted: Jun 12, 2007
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Yeah, it's friggin' June already and where is my finished CD?? Working here isn't what I thought it would be and selling cars, well, unless you're connected to the mob doesn't really pay much. Especially when things are slow. Holy crap, and are they ever. Yes, mouseketeers, the only thing that has been holding me back these months is lack of moolah. I kid you not, and it's starting to drive me crazy, I mean first I have to give up my subscription to Xbox live, and then my HD movie channels go by the wayside, and now my freakin' album is on hold for months!!! Heaven have mercy!!
If I don't sort myself out in the next couple of weeks I'm donating my gonads to science. Better pay good.
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| Apocalypto
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Posted: May 28, 2007
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Dudes...Apocalypto, what a movie! Mel Gibson rocks. If you haven't seen it, grab the dvd like I did and watch it...holy crap is it ever an intense re-enactment of the great Mayan civilizations. Violent as hell though so make sure grandma isn't sitting next to you.
Once my next paycheck comes through I will pay for the mastering and then work on the printing of the cds. Damn did this ever drag!! At least the quality is pretty much where I want it and everything will have finally come together.....next time I'll do things a little differently.
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| Mmmm hmmmm
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Posted: May 21, 2007
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Anyone ever hear of Protest the Hero? Man this Canadian band is incredible, very technical and very melodic. Young guys too....if you can get your hands on their latest Kezia album you won't regret it.
Speaking of new albums, anyone out there hear the latest from Megadeth yet?? Yep, United Abominations is out and fiery, and I love it!! Listen to Sleepwalkers..it'll make your eyes water and your hair fall out..
Steve Vai is coming to Vancouver in September!! Woohoo!! Guess who's going to see him?! Oh and so is Coheed and Cambria!! Can life get any better?? Totally awesome man. Can't wait.
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| Another day in Paradise
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Posted: May 8, 2007
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Hello again ....
Yep. Another day. Graemme is back and the mastering is at it's final stages. Tarun was recently in touch and it was good to hear from him. Looks like the kid has his act together and is taking his drumming to another level. More power to you bro.
With the exception of my crappy job and my frequent flings with my new (and very awesome) Nintendo Wii life is pretty much normal. Just aching to get my music out and possibly start work on something else, who knows maybe even join a band and tour across North America. Why the hell not...? Eh?? That would sure as hell beat my day job right about now.
God, I just love Broadjam. If any of you bums are trying to get your music out and need help Broadjam is super cool. And no, I'm not getting paid to say this. The tools they offer for literally next to nothing can put you on the map, mo-fos. And that, is after all, what you are trying to achieve.
Anyways....work awaits. Gotta suit up and get outta here. God help me....;)
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| Yep Baby the Time is Now
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Posted: Mar 13, 2007
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Zen Mastering. Looks like Graemme Brown from Zen Mastering will be taking on the project of mastering my new album, Delve. Kiran, who turned out to be a procrastinator and a liar has ignored the whole project since I left Dubai four months ago, and now I have to resort to plan B. I tell you guys what man, this guy nearly sabotaged the whole project. I had no idea this was coming.
I will have to compromise on a few things but not to the point where it will adversely affect the album. Sheesh. What a bummer! Kiran if you can read this you totally suck ass man. What a letdown.
Anyhow dudes, all is not lost. I didn't get this far for nothing. Updates will be a little more regular as of today. Remember, the good news is Zen Mastering. They're ready to go and I'm in the process of repossessing my original material and digital tracks.
Hurrah!
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| Sabbath at the Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver
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Posted: Mar 11, 2007
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I found my way around to the Pacific Coliseum, a big Hockey stadium in an area called Hastings. It's always touch and go when I set out to find a location, but so far I've been pretty good!
Parked down the street and headed down to the venue...Holy crap man, try 15000 people, from older, 30+ rockers still sporting mullets to younger punks looking to mosh and this place was PACKED. Huge venue, I was in the upper seats (the floor was pretty expensive) so Down came on, there was Phil Anselmo, man it was weird seeing the frontman for Pantera right in front of me!! Oh and shit, as soon as the lights dimmed, EVERY mo-fo in the place fired up a spliff.....there was a layer of smoke in the air the whole night.....dude talk about grey haze..
Down were OK, but just OK, nothing special, sort of new metal but with some grooving riffs, they got the guitarist from Crowbar apparently (never heard of them) and the other guitarist from COC (them neither) but they weren't bad.
Then Megadeth came on and people really went crazy, pretty much the same songs in the same order as we heard them last year but he played a new one from their new album, and it was kickin too! It's always good to see Megadeth anyway, the energy is awesome, even though he's not the nicest guy in the world.
Then that set is over, I have to queue for 10 minutes to take a leak, grab me a couple ciders and Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi get on the stage! Then Dio breaks out into songs from The Mob Rules album, Voodoo, Sign of the Southern Cross, Heaven and Hell, and remember Neon Nights?? And Lady Evil?? He played Falling off the Edge of the World and some other ones, Children of the Sea and others I can't remember now. It was incredible. And Oh my God, the set was magnificient, the lighting, the set, the CGI images on the huge stage behind them, the light choreography....
Vinny Appice did like a 10 minute drum solo, then a song, then Tony came on and dude, that guy can REALLY play!! He did like a slow, emotional solo intro to a song. Man I had a tear in my eye.
I went alone and sat upstairs in a stadium next to a bunch of strangers but man I had a great time. It was great seeing Megadeth again, I can never get tired of the energy in their songs, but dude watching Sabbath was surreal. These were songs I hadn't heard in 20 years, when I was still in school living in my own little shell.... And they are still playing it!!! The same SOBs!!
Vancouver was the start of Sabbath's new worldwide tour. It looks like it'll be a rockin' success!!
On another, more sombre note, did you guys hear the singer from Boston died? It was in the paper yesterday I think. Brad Delp. He was 55. That sucks man. I was always hoping for a reunion tour.......crap.
RIP brother.
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| Merry Christmas everybody...
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Posted: Dec 25, 2006
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Hey there mouseketeers! It's that time of the year! And today for the first time I am spending it in North Vancouver. How awesome is this? Cloudy and rainy, just the way I like it. Would've liked some snow, and we had some earlier this month, but this is just as nice.
No news yet on the final production on the album, looks like ol' Kiran has decided that our agreed deadline was never to be taken seriously. I guess this will be a 2007 release after all.
Other than that I'm finding me feet and getting to grips with the new home. I hope you all have a good new year too....!
Peace.
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| Here in beautiful BC!
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Posted: Dec 2, 2006
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Ahhhh...yes. I have arrived in beautiful British Columbia, the most glorious of provinces. I am currently setting up here and trying to organize my album asap. Finger's crossed I should have everything done before the end of the year in regards to printing and disribution. It's a close call but I'm hellbent on getting this done!
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| Oh Canada
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Posted: Sep 25, 2006
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Hey there,
Looks like I'll be moving to Vancouver, BC in the next couple months. I've been working on it for a while and all things seem to be coming together now as we speak. As for the album, we thought we had finished with all the tracking and we suddenly realised we were a little short on album length once we listened to the tracks back to back. Oh and btw, the album has been renamed 'Delve'. More appropriate, I think. And just cuz I can.
I'm gonna have to pull a couple more rabbits out of the ol' hat and then maybe get to work on the final mix. I'm running out of time and we still have a lot of work ahead of us.....
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| Steve Irwin R.I.P
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Posted: Sep 5, 2006
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Shocked we all were at the plight of Mr. Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter, after we'd heard of his untimely death a couple days ago. He has done much for the animal world and his gusto for life and fascination for mother nature will never be forgotten. Rest in peace dude.
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| In today's news..
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Posted: 29 August, 2006
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Greetings earthlings
Welcome to my all new pretty hot and tasty website, bringing you all the love and info from monitor to monitor ala the www. Updates are constant so please relax and check out the tracks for now until I sort out all the bugs. Be good!
Btw, I am currently in the process of tracking and mixing my latest album, Dweller in the Mountain, with non other than producer/musician extraordinaire Kiran Sequeira and his drummer/student brother Tarun. Expect more news on the upcoming release in the very near future....
Cheers!
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