TRUE DEVOTION

Well today's Diwali. Greetings to all. We Bengalis have this tradition of making 'alpanas' or colourless rangolis. Usually its the same old Lakshmi feet and some other generic stuff. THIS time, I decided to make one as well. THIS^ is what I came up with. A tribute to one of the few TRUE gods on Earth. Comments are necessary.

New BANNER!!!

FINALLY!!! A blog header of my own!! That ordinary, boring Times New Roman-bastardized bloated text was becoming an unbearable eyesore. I was longing for a custom-designed banner. YES!!!(plays air guitar to 'Cry of the Black Birds'). Opinions are welcome.

Gates of Winter: Another Step-up with Epic,Progressive music

This is another review I wrote for Encyclopaedia Metallum. Its a band from Canada called Gates of Winter. They play prog-power metal. The album's name is 'Lux Aeterna'. Here goes:

I came across Gates of Winter through a podcast. The song I had heard was 'Winter Flight', a song that, in one word, made me feel 'released'. And that's the kind of feel I got throughout the whole album. Right from the start of the album, one can tell that this band's intention is go STRAIGHT for the listener's mood. Their songwriting is VERY emotion-oriented, something that I find lacking in most progressive metal bands, who are busy showing off their technical prowess and superior education in music.

Gates of Winter may not come across as progressive to someone who's definition of 'progressive' is based on music by bands like Dream Theater and Andromeda. No. Don't expect ridiculously brain-jarring time signatures and beat skips OR virtuosic technique. So what makes them progressive? Well their ability to change rhythms frequently and constantly make the listener feel like he/she is part of the story they are trying to tell. And they CAN tell stories. Case in point: the 'Burning Kingdom' trilogy. The way the 1st part, 'A Dark Affliction' begins, sets the tone running for part 2 and finally closes with the instrumental part 3 that shares its name with the album title, bears testimony to their storytelling prowess.

Another highlight of this album is that there is never a dull moment. This is something that many progressive metal bands have not been able to master. Gates of Winter ensure that their songs do not drag on unnecessarily, clocking at 11-15 minutes JUST for the sake of being called 'progressive'. Hence one never feels that the same riff is being repeated for too long, or that the lead guitarist can stop his 5-minute long wankery already. Also, this band has a VERY solid backing rhythm. None of those 'falsely promising-sounding intro' problems here.

All in all, this is a wonderful album. The production though, DOES give away the fact that it is self-released because of the unusual prominence of the bass. No matter, it is still a piece of art. No matter what kind of a bad day one has had, one can be assured that he will feel total bliss for those 49 minutes and 44 seconds that this album runs for. A few of my favourites:

-Winter Flight
-From the Flesh
-Burning Kingdom II- Heavenly Insurgence
-Omega

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When the addiction began....

Yesterday my mom and I were cleaning out my room,which used to be used by both my sister and I. There was a lot of stuff that NONE of us had taken out for at least 3 years. Some were even more. One out of those fossils was a diary I had kept in class 8. It contained a HUMONGOUS bio-data, some drawings and one poem. The poem was basically an attempt at shrinking the story of 'Star Wars:Episode I- The Phantom Menace'. Remember,if you think its lame, I was just 13 years old then. Here it is:

In the galaxy there was a commotion,
because of the greedy Trade Federation.
They stopped all shipping to the planet of Naboo,
and Queen Amidala did not know what to do.

Chancellor Valorum secretly dispatched,
2 Jedi knights who were a match.
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn,
set off with The Force within.

During their urgent 'negotiations',
they had a chance meet with a Gungan.
Known by the name of Jar-Jar Binks,
to Otoh Gunga he no longer bore any links.

With him they reached the city of Theed,
and left for Coruscant to complete their deed.
Attacked by the Federation on the way,
on planet Tatooine they had to stay.

There they met a slave boy of nine,
known by the name of Anakin.
Sensing that he had The Force within,
he was freed by Qui-Gon Jinn.

Then came the arrival of the Sith,
just when The Sith had become a myth.
Trained by Sidious to destroy all,
this Sith's name was Darth Maul.

Alas! Darth Maul had arrived at Theed,
to fulfill his master's deed.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan jumped to the scene,
to try and save the Jedi Regime.

He was killed by Obi-Wan, his efforts in vain,
but alas! Qui-Gon had also been slain.
Obi-Wan Kenobi was now on his own,
but the ray of hope still shone.

Meanwhile Naboo made a pact with the Gungans,
to get back their glory and vengeance.
Young Skywalker did the trick,
by destroying the battleship very quick.

This drove Naboo out of its blues,
no Trade Federation on the loose.
They became friends with the Gungan city,
Peace was restored to the galaxy.

-----------------------MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU-----------------------

The Damn tagging thing

OK, Kirti (my girlfriend) has tagged me,so I can't refuse her tags.Hence,I shall tag as well.Here goes:

I am : Ishaan

I think : this tagging business is not very enjoyable

I know : what I plan to write here.

I want : a proper bass amplifier

I have : not had sex yet

I wish : for an ESP or a Warwick bass guitar

I hate : bollywood/indipop music

I miss : while peeing...HEEHEEHAHAHAHA

I fear : not getting into Tisch Asia for a Master's in animation

I hear : my neighbours' colony of servants fighting.

I smell : the blood of a runty one!!!

I crave : a lifetime supply of Mughlai food

I search : on Google and Wikipedia :p

I wonder : why so many people are prejudiced against metal

I regret : missing my date with Kirti and spoiling her evening.

I love : Kirti

I ache : when I have to study

I was not : going to do this tagging thing but did it only because Kirti tagged me

I am not : narrow-minded about music.

I cry : when Kirti cries

I believe : that people will lift the veil of religion from their eyes before its too late for the world

I dance : ?

I sing : as well as death-growl

I read : when I'm not feeling lazy to.

I don't always : talk about metal.

I fight : for what I worship

I write : about what I worship

I win : seldom

I lose : most of the time

I never : dance

I always : sit at the computer ;-)

I confuse : the gullible

I listen : to METAL\m/\m/!!!!!

I can usually be found : in front of the computer or playing my bass guitar.

I am scared : , are you?

I need : to shut up

I am happy : with Kirti, my friends, around the metal gods.

I imagine : a world where metal is the only religion.

METAL TOP 10

Well I've always been one for lists of my own. I like analysing/taking-apart/revering/spitting on all those people and groups and aspects of what I'm crazy about. So here, I'm going to make a list of my top 10 Metal instrument players. I'm not going for top 10 bands as that's a VERY,VERY dynamic list and the only permanent members there are Metallica, Iron Maiden, Children of Bodom, Sonata Arctica and Mercenary. So,here are my favourite mic and instrument abusers. NOTE: Not in any order of preference.


TOP 10 VOCALISTS:
-Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth,Bloodbath)
-Johann Hegg (Amon Amarth)
-Roy Khan (Kamelot)
-Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica)
-James Hetfield (Metallica)
-Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden)
-Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy)
-Michael Eriksen (Circus Maximus)
-Henrik 'Kral' Andersson (ex-Mercenary)
-Matt Barlow (Iced Earth)

TOP 10 GUITARISTS:
-Jason Becker (Cacaphony, solo)
-Chuck Schuldiner(R.I.P)(Death, Control Denied)
-Michael Romeo (Symphony X)
-John Petrucci (Dream Theater)
-Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)
-Yngwie Malmsteen (Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force)
-Alexi Laiho (Children of Bodom,Sinergy)
-Michael Amott (Arch Enemy)
-Roope Latvala (Children of Bodom)
-Jaani Liimatainen (ex-Sonata Arctica)

TOP 10 SYNTH PLAYERS:
-Øyvind Johan Mustaparta a.k.a Mustis (Dimmu Borgir)
-Marco Sneck (Kalmah)
-Janne Warman (Children of Bodom)
-Henrik Klingenberg (Sonata Arctica)
-Per Wiberg (Opeth)
-Rickard Zander (Evergrey)
-Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater)
-Attila Publik a.k.a Perspicacious Protector (Lost Horizon)
-Tuomas Planman (Norther)
-David Pavlicko (ex-Kamelot)

TOP 10 DRUMMERS:
- Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater)
-Janick Bercier (Quo Vadis)
-Chris Adler (Lamb of God)
-Hellhammer (Gorgoroth,Mayhem,ex-Dimmu Borgir)
-George Kolias (Nile)
-Martin Axenrot (Opeth,Bloodbath)
-Fredrik Andersson (Amon Amarth)
-Daniel Erlandsson (Arch Enemy)
-Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden)
-Jaska Raatikainen (Children of Bodom)

TOP 10 BASS PLAYERS:
-Cliff Burton (R.I.P)(ex-Metallica)
-Steve Harris (Iron Maiden)
-Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse)
-John Myung (Dream Theater)
-Steve DiGiorgio (Sadus)
-Martin Mendez (Opeth)
-Michael LePond (Symphony X)
-Hennka Seppala (Children of Bodom)
-Scott Clendenin (ex-Death)
-Troy Bleich (Into Eternity)