21st Century Breakdown - Green Day

2004 was a significant year for Green Day: with the release of American Idiot it was clear that one of the biggest punk acts had chosen a new direction strongly influenced by pop-punk energies combined with a grand, almost progressive, musical score theme that was reminiscent of rock opera. Now, five years later, Green Day offers us the follow-up to their newfound style that might as well be a second album for what feels like a completely new band.

21st Century Breakdown is not the album that old school Green Day fans are looking out for, it is, in fact, a strong continuation of their new direction that favours the more melodic and anthem-based songs that American Idiot introduced. While not nearly as progressive at times 21st Century Breakdown remains to prove that Green Day have matured into what can only possibly be described as one of the most unique pop-rock bands churning out anthems today. The songs ‘Christian’s Inferno’, ‘Horseshoes and Handgrenades’ and ‘American Eulogy’ provide energetic guitar driven pop-rock anthems that are sure to please their more angst-ridden and pop-loving audiences, while the sorrow of ‘Restless Heart Syndrome’ provides a great contrast. The pop-epics of ‘Holiday’ and ‘Jesus of Suburbia’ make a return with ’21 Guns’, the My Chemical Romance-inspired ‘Viva La Gloria’, and closing track ‘See the Light’ reinforcing that Green Day have found a new direction that suits. Numerous times throughout the album there are catchy tinges of early rock’n’roll pop (‘Last of the American Girls’, ‘Static Age’, etc) that would not be out of place at American high school proms whilst being contrasted by the likes of ‘Peacemaker’ with its fast-tempo acoustic guitar that oddly would suit a stage production. In fact the album’s subject matter would almost certainly provide enough material for some kind of musical with its (albeit pop-infused) commentary on the state of Western society at the beginning of a new century – hence the album’s name.

While hardcore Green Day fans of old will not appreciate the continuation of American Idiot’s pop-rock anthems, 21st Century Breakdown is an album that will grow on listeners who are not initially hooked by the melodies and altogether proves that Green Day have found a winning formula.

4 stars

Race Pro (360) - Atari

Only a few years ago there were just two players on the race-sim battleground conveniently opposing one another: Xbox’s Forza Motorsport and PlayStation’s Gran Turismo. These two titles provided stunning visuals and an immense range of licensed cars. But now it seems that the big players in the gaming industry are clueing on to the fact that these games are not only infuriatingly difficult to master but are also a lot of fun. Cue Atari, offering 360 owners another exclusive in the form of the imaginatively titled Race Pro.

Gameplay-wise Race Pro feels dated and arcade – something a current-gen simulation should not be. There are two major faults that haunt this game’s claim to simulation: the first is that in a straight line your car will be the quickest on the track no matter what; the second is that unlike what Granny Turismo’s licence tests and Forza teaches you the racing line can be ignored in favour of driving aggressively. A lot is borrowed from the gospel of Forza featuring a default race-line with turn-notices a la every-rally-game-ever-made, adjustable difficulty in the form of driving assists and almost the exact same rotatable camera controls. In fact the only aspects of Race Pro that make it stand out from the race-sim giants is that every car in the game is an actual race car that belongs on the track (no whipping your Corona around Road America here) and hidden away in the options menu are adjustable steering, throttle, brake sensitivities as well as other mindless technical jargon. The latter feature could be the only significant selling point of this game, as only perfectionist mechanics and wannabe motorsport fanatics would actually care about this.

To further your career as a Race Pro you race in championships for teams who initially require you to beat a set time on a particular circuit in their car before you can purchase their contract at a discounted rate. Upon completion of championships not only are you rewarded credits per-race but also trophy-car versions of you team’s motor, after a few completed contracts per class (normally two) the next class is unlocked granting access to more contracts with faster cars and some more tracks. Back in the days of the original TOCA games this may have been acceptable, warranting no complaints, but in this day and age this method of progression proves linear and is a repetitive grind. Other offline modes include Single Race, Championship (which is essentially a few Single Races thrown together), Hot Seat (offline multiplayer), Time Attack and Open Practice all of which involve simply selecting a track, a car and gunning it – something that, again, brings nothing new to the racing table. Online, however the game box boasts “extensive” Xbox Live races against 12 other budding Race Pros. While this is a pretty major promise, and the most intriguing out of the features boasted, when logging on Xbox Live to test this out I found at most six opponents to take on – far from extensive.

One of the great things about race-sims is that the graphics are very pretty: trees and buildings reflect with stunning detail off the cars and the lighting effects of the sun and street lights serve as great distractions when hurtling down a straight at 200km/h. This is probably where Race Pro most notably drops the ball though. While some effort has gone into the car models and the realistic depiction of the race tracks it all comes off sub-par compared with the graphics of, well, damn near every game offered on the current generation consoles bar the Wii. So bland are the visuals that the game appears as if it belongs on the original Xbox or even on the aging PS2...in fact even the original Forza and Gran Turismo 4 were far more pretty.

Lastly, there is practically no soundtrack in this game aside from a Scottish voice out of no-where congratulating you on finishing and telling you off for doing something wrong. While Atari may have intentionally done this in order to gain the full race-day immersion, again, all that results is a feeling that the game is unfinished.

While there are not that many race-sims available to gamers the very high standard of quality in those available makes it very difficult for any newcomer to stand a chance at keeping toe to toe with the big boys. Unfortunately due to mundane graphics, grinding career progression and very little in the way of a unique experience Race Pro falls behind the behemoths of the racing genre. If you own a 360 and you are looking for a racing sim buy Forza 2 or GRID and avoid this like the plague.

Halo Wars (360) - Ensemble Studios

As the flag-ship game for the 360 it is not surprising that Halo developers Ensemble are pushing the franchise to new limits in order for it to seep into everyday gaming culture, which has largely been successful thanks to the franchises three critically acclaimed games. Now, in what is a very interesting step, the latest offering in the Halo franchise is not first-person shooter but a real-time strategy.

It is a well known fact in the global gaming community that if there is one genre of gaming that consoles have continually failed to get right it is strategy: this is because a PC’s keyboard plays a monumentally important role in a l337 term known as ‘micro-management’; however a console controller is obviously hampered by its lack of buttons. Ensemble have addressed this problem by allowing you to cycle through different types of units using the left and right triggers and by using the shoulder buttons to select local (on screen) and all units. While this is a good idea Halo Wars still manages to lag behind its PC brethren due to the fact that you cannot arrange your units into specific squads for further micro-management. The use of the left, right and down buttons on the game pad serves the use of quickly jumping you to selected units and map events but thanks to the lack of a mouse allowing you to freely click on the mini-map itself results in a general feeling of restriction. While this may seem like a minor quarrel it can make a big difference later on in the campaign with the difficulty cranked up or on a fairly hectic skirmish when you are multi-tasking between constructing units and managing those already in the thick of battle.

Halo Wars is set 20 years prior to the events of the first Halo game (referred to as ‘The Halo Incident’) pitting you in control of UNSC forces as they valiantly struggle against the fittingly evil Covenant alliance. One of the main selling points for the 360-fanboys in la la land will be the opportunity to control armies of American-accent-totting UNSC forces or even switch sides in a skirmish to take control of a few Hunters, Banshees and the formidable Scarab. While both goodies and baddies hold forces of adequate variety that can be upgraded through research, not to mention that in Skirmish mode each general holds specific unique units; there is a persistent feeling of limitation. This is largely down to the limited visual and artistic differences between certain units; even with the ability to zoom in controlled through the right analogue stick it is difficult to tell them apart. This was particularly a pain when in one mission I continually found myself sending useless artillery tanks into the thick of battle mistaking them for something far more useful (and short range). The result: a certain Mr Cracka screaming at the aforementioned artillery in frustration, cursing the fact that they were almost identical in appearance to the more useful Scorpion tanks. This leads me conveniently to another issue I found with the game play: despite the presence of an adequate range of units to combine into an army it was all too easy to fall back onto the old amateur tactic of tank rushing. With this lack of strategy consistently employable throughout the game’s campaign save one or two missions it kind of defeats the purpose of a strategy game, and results in the fact that Halo Wars is not something that the die-hard RTS fans out there should be rushing out to play but instead serves as a good introduction to the genre itself.

All up Halo Wars is an interesting new take on the 360’s ‘killer app’ that provides a control scheme that, for once, actually works for a console RTS and is a fun game to play because of this. Unfortunately due to the simplicity in the units’ range and the dumbed-down difficulty thanks to the lack of strategy actually required, Halo Wars is a game that should only really be bought by the hardiest of Xbox fan-boys or those wanting an introduction to the strategy genre.

3.5 stars

Interview with Angelo Munro from the Bleeders

This is an interview I conducted and wrote exclusively for the club that I run, TrueRockSoc. I decided against submitting it into CANTA as I wanted some exclusive content for the club blog.

So tell us, what has been going on in The Bleeder’s camp? It’s been a while since we heard anything from you guys following last year’s self-titled album.

Yeah, I guess last year we did a couple of tours to support the record, and then took a break for 6 weeks before moving to Toronto in January where we are now based for next year. We have played a little bit..but looking to tour a lot more towards the U.S. summer. Also some writing towards a new album is a bit of a focus right now.

As arguably one of the most recognisable figures in the NZ music scene do you feel some kind of celebrity status or is our wee country too small to even consider yourself as a celebrity?

Haha not at all! I'm recognisable if you like what we do and you know the band, but I definately don't get harrased in the supermarket which I like. I am definately not a celebrity, I hate that shit. Manu Vatuvei...now that's a celeberity! He is the man!

Many bands head West to boost their careers but have been largely unsuccessful in doing so (Shihad case-in-point), is the North American hardcore scene very supportive for you boys?

Well you know...NZ is always easy to point out about bands trying overseas and beeing unsuccessfull, but Shihad for instance, they weren't a failure by any stretch of the imagination. The population over here is a hell of a lot more, so expectations are higher. If you get signed to say a major like they were and you sell like 80,000 CDs per se...they see that as failure here. So you get dropped. Reports come back to NZ that they were dropped and its seen as a failure here too. But in the meantime they have probably got a nice small fanbase and can come here and play club tour to 200-300 people per night (or more, I'm not exactly sure what they do) and to do that in a country on the other side of the world from your home is amazing!

So to me...anything's a bonus. If we stayed in NZ for 2009 it would of gotten stale for us. So we are here, and we are grateful for anything. If we come home next year and can say we toured the States and Canada multiple times and have a CD out here with several thousand buying it I will die a happy man!

And yes...so far so good for the Canadians. USA is yet to see Bleeders as of yet. Maybe in a few months!

Tell us about Deadboy Records, you’ve signed on False Start and other emerging hardcore bands.

Yeah false start have done 2 CDs on my label, they were on board very early and have been my top seller for sure! I got like 6 bands on my roster now...so its fun. It's more of a hobby for me, but at the same time I can help bands get their CDs out and keep the costs low you know...so its cool. My label is very diverse, from emo/pop to brutal hardcore shit... like In Dread Response.

What’s your thoughts on NZ music month? Do we need it or should our local music always be able to support itself without the aid of mass-marketing?

I don't really care either way, I used to think there's no point shoving it down peoples throats. But you know...my band has had great support over the years and had shit pretty easy. So nz music month gives some bands that are under the radar a bit more exposure!

The Bleeders are known for their determined touring and intense live performances, care to share any horror stories from the road?

Bro we dont have anything to tell..seriously!

Finally, when can we expect to see you back in NZ? We’ve been missing our favourite hardcore act!

Next year for sure. We hope to record a new album later this year or early next year, and come home to tour it. Or...we may just come back to live. We have definately not claimed we are here forever...so no talking about us failing please if we do just the 1 year! Haha!

No Line On the Horizon - U2

It’s been five years since U2’s last studio effort, a big gap for a band who in their almost 30 year career have released eleven previous records. In this time they have written some great music, but it seems with No Line On the Horizon they may have dropped the ball.

I shouldn’t be all too negative about this album, there are some great songs on it. A nice cushy love song can be found in ‘Magnificent’ and the single ‘Get On Your Boots’ is pretty groovy, deserving the amount of radio attention it’s been getting lately. The same should be said about the opener ‘No Line on the Horizon’ as well, but it is unfortunately ruined by the fact that it is repeated as a closing track with minor musical alterations and different lyrics. Normally this can work if it acts as a kind of closing credits function only lasting a minute or so, but it is an entire song in itself which paints a pretty lazy picture.

What is interesting is that a lot of the songs are based in the perspective of some poor soul suffering through war and poverty or even a journalist covering these global issues. This would normally make for some pretty interesting lyrics but unfortunately they end up resembling those of an accountant for the Green Party, of particular note is ‘Cedars of Lebanon’ with the lyrics “Child drinking dirty water from the river bank/ Soldier brings oranges he got out from a tank” and so on…you get my point. Talking about lyrics there is a significant lack of such with too many choruses relying on the “Oh-oh ooohhh-ooooooh oh” style of speak resulting in the aforementioned laziness.

My biggest beef with U2’s No Line On the Horizon is the fact that it’s very linear; none of the songs really stand out and more or less just blend together. That doesn’t mean that it’s a bad album, but it seems to me that U2 are starting to lose their way.

2.5 stars

Parappa the Rappa: Killzone 2 (PS3)

I am always sketchy about games that receive mountains of hype by faceless marketing departments in the lead up to their releases. Sure, the game looks pretty and we are promised oh so much for forking out the hundred or so from our already thin wallets for it, but most of the time these games turn out to be unpolished and uninspired. However, Killzone 2 has done the improbable by actually matching its own hype with stellar visuals and some of the most intense firefights in recent memory.

The plot of Killzone 2 is not exactly gripping, but then again it cannot be called garbage. All you really need to know is that the evil Helghast Empire is now on the defensive back-foot after the American accent-toting Interplanetary Strategic Alliance managed to repel their invasion of the planet colony Vekta from the first Killzone. As soon as you pick up the game you are thrown into the invasion of the planet Helghan in a D-Day inspired scenario crash-landing on a beach…if you could call it that. Helghan is far from a holiday resort with some genuinely menacing environments on offer adding nicely to the dark tone of war given off by the game; this is complemented further by the enemies sporting glowing red eyes and evil English accents wheezing through post-apocalyptic helmets and gas masks.

Combat is exciting and intense providing a great challenge throughout the game to the degree that you never get to the point of partaking in a spot of controller-discuss. The controls feel spot-on with great responsiveness while retaining the feeling of your character’s weight. By sticking with bullets over lasers, Killzone 2 avoids Halo’s fantastical sci-fi approach to weaponry in favour of raw grit, the result of which is a far more believable experience reminiscent of shooters like Battlefield and Call of Duty. However in saying that special mention has to go to the electricity spewing gun and grenades that prove to be very useful for mechanical foes and provide humour in hearing your more fleshy enemies’ garbled screams. Killzone 2’s gamble with the inclusion of a cover mechanic pays off allowing you to reload and (briefly) plan your next move without becoming Swiss cheese. The game even makes use of the largely useless Sixaxis motion control system by using it to turn valves and plant C4 charges. While most of the time this feels well designed, there are a few moments when going from staunchly firing your gun to flailing and twisting your controller in the midst of battle makes you feel like a bit of a dork.

Outside of the main campaign, there is further evidence of Killzone 2’s greatness by the inclusion of a great online multiplayer with some great maps and modes. The set up of multiplayer is superb in that you do not necessarily have to stick with the bog-standard death match. Once an objective is completed, the game assigns a new mode seamlessly through radio commands, the result of which can have you scrambling around the map completing search and destroy-style missions for a few minutes before smoothly changing to hiding in a corner while your teammates protect you from being popped in assassination missions. Even if you do not have access to the internet, the team at Guerrilla have included a Skirmish mode teaming you up with and against teams of bots playing multiplayer missions which adds a lot of replay value to an otherwise linear game.

While the original Killzone on the PS2 was average, Guerrilla have finally got the formula right with a superb shooter that gives the 360’s heavyweights Gears and Halo a real run for their money and effectively puts the PS3 back on the FPS map.

4.5 stars

Brant Bjork and the Bros at Al's Bar

Whenever a well renowned international rock act comes to Christchurch one would expect them to be perform in the town hall, Westpac or some other decent venue. However, what would be the case for the more underground rock acts of the, say, Palm Desert stoner era? Al's Bar is the only choice; a bar that holds local and underground live rock true to its gritty young heart and intimate atmosphere. And what better underground act than the legendary Brant Bjork who made his name as the stickman for desert/stoner rock pioneers Kyuss (the members of whom included Josh Homme).

Arrivingto the gig after a few late beers and an even later bus this reviewer unfortunately missed all but the final two songs of supporting act Second Gear Grind (UC represent!). However SGG proved they were more than worthy to support the a stoner rock legend with heavy bass and guitar driven rock led superbly by vocalist S.Bell's strong vocals showcasing their influence by the band that made Bjork famous but also combining it with a more metal-like sound reminiscent of sludge rock and metal. For the entirity of their epic songs (and I'm sure their set for that matter) they had the crowd grooving in such a way that only stoner rock fans can - heavy nodding and side swaying...the cool way.

Almost straight off the bat Bjork and his support band The Bros established themselves as all about the music launching straight into it; no arsing around, just pure unadulterated rock'n'motherfucking'roll. Bjork retained the perfect stoner rock look dressed (to put it bluntly) like a bum keeping his attention to the lazy rock and was aided greatly by heavy bass of the Bros' bassist and their baritone axeman Max Roddings. In fact so heavy was the grooves of the set that when I briefly ventured out of the mosh pit (if you could call it that) to break the seal that the entire mens toilets were shaking with a force that could only be compared to a dragon farting. As this gig was part of Brant Bjork's tour for his 2008 album 'Punk Rock Guilt' there were a few songs featured in the set, but due to my aforementioned lack of knowledge of his music I can't really tell you what they were. What I can tell you however was that the songs all reeked of dirty desert rock goodness that is so very under-appreciated in this day-and-age of bland Chad Kroegerness...but I'll save a further explanation of this for another day.

By the time Bjork and the Bros wrapped up their set of heavy grooves and amp'd tunes I was re-hooked on the stoner rock vibe and keen to grab a copy of their latest album, this would not be the case however. Due to the fact that this was a bar there was no chance of getting money out, so I've now resided to the fact that when Studylink comes through it will be right on the top of the list of things to claim as part of course related costs - I'm a Mass Coms student...it's gotta count for something right? But as far as Wednesday nights go, proclaimed Bjork midset, the night was about as close to a Thursday as you could get, and that coming from an underground legend in my books is pretty darn good.