Corey_Lazarus

Met Mikey Whipwreck at Disney MGM Studios in the line for the Muppets 4D show back in October '00. Was sitting down against the wall after spending the last few hours with my folks and (then) friend Jason all over the park, and I look up to see a pudgy guy with atomic red hair in dire need of a shave wearing an ECW shirt walk by. I believe my exact words were to the effect of "hey...hey, that's Mikey Whipwreck..." or something very close. Grabbed my dad and a camera and Jason, then went backwards in line, found him, and got a picture with him. In the background you can see his folks just dying laughing, and I think his daughter just sorta embarassed.

Did he bust out any Carnivore tunes? Outside of that, I don't see how anybody COULD mosh to Type O...there's a few faster tunes that they have, but most are plodding and atmospheric...it's like seeing people mosh at Opeth. There's a moshable part that lasts for MAYBE 20 seconds, and people go crazy, but when there's a more mosh-able band opening for them, like Nevermore (both times I saw Nevermore was with Opeth headlining, and the friends that drove me wanted to see Opeth more...I need better friends), the crowd's dead for the bulk of it. Of course, it didn't help Nevermore that second time that they only played stuff from Enemies of Reality (a piece of shit album) and This Godless Endeavour (better than Dead Heart, and Dead Heart is near perfect) with ONE SONG from earlier albums (that being "The River Dragon Has Come" from Dead Heart), but alas. Going to see Misfits on Sunday. I'd call them Misfits '98, but Doyle's been replaced by Dez Cadena. I'd call them Misfits Project 1950, but Marky Ramone left and Robo came back. So...I dunno, I'll just call them the Misfits for right now. Balzac is opening, as are local metalcore band Mongrel and a few underground/local goth/horrorpunk bands...hurray me. Hopefully Bad Ash is there, as they're at least fun live. But it's fucking Jerry Only, so I gotta go.

I actually thought that the third was the best one. I saw it last Wednesday, and I'd say it's easily better than the second one (which was, IMO, better than the first). The one thing I wish was different about it was that there was 10 more minutes, so the "revelations" weren't so rushed. But that's something that happens in any movie where there's some huge revelation that needs some thought put into it at the end. Also, a little more time for backstory on Jeff would've been preferable, but not necessary, because the story of is pretty self-explanatory. It'll be interesting to see how Jigsaw's past plays into the next few sequels, much more interesting than the endless add-on's to the mythologies of Jason Voorhees, Michael Meyers, Chucky (and subsequently Tiffany), and even Freddy Krueger.

'Taker just hated everybody who came over from WCW. Whether or not they were a superior worker didn't matter (and a few of them were far better than he ever was), he didn't like them because they were from WCW. It didn't matter that DDP had so many injuries he actually worked through over the years, or that he went from having abominable matches week-in and week-out to stealing the show (as far as the heavyweights go) in the span of a year or two, he was WCW. It also didn't matter that, rather than chill until his Turner contract was up (as most of the WCW main event guys did) before negotiating with Vince, DDP came in right away...he was WCW. Something that always got me about Jeff Jarrett, in particular The Stroke...why didn't any of his opponents just, you know, punch him in the face? I didn't mind when he'd hit it out of nowhere (see the 3-on-1 S.E.X-Jarrett match when Jarrett pinned Daniels after moving out of the way of a diving clothesline and connecting IMMEDIATELY with the Stroke; for further reference, this was the night Raven debuted), but when he'd get them in the Russian Legsweep position and then mock the other guy for a few seconds before hitting it. That just completely exposes wrestling as fake to me, since a few times the other guy would then KICK OUT of the move. Why not spare yourself a little bit of pain and just give 'em a knuckle sandwich?

Finished up Lords of Chaos about a week ago. The first half is the good part: the part explaining why Satanism, heathenism, fascism, and other anti-establishment/anti-Christian sentiments are so much a part of black metal (and to a lesser extent death metal), especially in Europe, and detailing the events that gave the Norwegian scene its infamy. The second half reads more like a "So, you want to be a Satanist" how-to manual, or a beginner's course for various anti-Christian spiritual beliefs. Outside of the parts in the second half where Anton LaVey is interviewed, or other members of various Satanist groups, it's pretty bland. Currently wrapping up Jericho's autobiography, which is fucking hilarious.

10. Send More Paramedics - "Zombie Crew" 9. Cannibal Corpse - "Fucked With a Knife" 8. Municipal Waste - "Unleash the Bastards" 7. Pantera - "Strength Beyond Strength" 6. Zombie Apocalypse - "Tale Told by a Dead Man" (really, EVERYBODY must hear this song) 5. White Zombie - "Electric Head Pt. I - The Agony" 4. Metallica - "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" 3. The Misfits - "Skulls" 2. Slayer - "Angel of Death" 1. The Misfits - "Hybrid Moments" That's as of this week or so.

I'd put Angle up higher if only because he was one of the top 4 guys in the WWF/WWE at any given time since the summer of 2000 until he left in '06. For what it's worth, I'd also put Goldberg higher than Sting, mostly because more people remember who the fuck Goldberg is that haven't watched wrestling since '99 (for instance, my girlfriend was surprised when we turned Impact on one night and Sting was there, and was especially surprised when I told her that Goldberg hasn't had a wrestling match since WrestleMania XX) than they do Sting (as somebody else pointed out, the name definitely helps). That said, Sting is like Terry Funk: he's perenially over with fans young and old, as the old ones remember better days, and the young ones see the older ones loving him and thus follow suit. That, and the whole thing about trying to get younger people over, reinventing themselves when needed, and working much harder than they really have to.

For the most part, yes. Which is why I don't care for most horror these days. There's a difference between acting on instinct and, say, investigating a weird noise in the dark woods as opposed to knowing that your life is in danger if you walk outside of a protected area and do it anyway. One's instinctual ignorance, the other is blind stupidity. And most of the characters in this movie were flat-out stupid. I cannot say that I liked a single character, save for maybe the sniper and the Medical chief. Those were the only two likeable characters in the whole movie, . Sure, it's nihilistic, as are almost all apocalyptic flicks, but why not make ? I couldn't root for the kids at all. At ALL. They helped cause the outbreak, so why should I care if they live or die? Give me somebody, SOMEBODY to empathize with.

They have a button on the D-PAD for run-in's...that says something.

Bollocks. That's what this flick is: Bollocks. Outside of the dad, I didn't think a single person was even decent at making me believe what was going on was real. The only part I really enjoyed was the special features on the graphic novel, that is the story of the two doctors developing the virus accidentally (that 5-minute short was more interesting than the movie itself) and the story of the two London survivors at war with each other and how one of them realizes that the Infected are drawn to us via the smell of our perfumes and deodorants was pretty cool, too. I didn't care for it too much, really. I was expecting the adventure and the bits of catharsis that the first one gave me. What I got was barely 90 minutes of being told that British people are fucking idiots that will destroy themselves while American forces are just trying to help. The dad was an idiot for , the kids were dumb , and not to mention . Bollocks. Disappointing sequel no matter how you cut it.

Every zombie movie ever made after Night of the Living Dead follows that plot, essentially: inner-turmoil between the survivors, blockading themselves into a confined space (this confined space grows with each Romero movie), attempting to escape, and then finally succumbing to the scourge and either barely making it out alive via the blurring of what is and isn't human or triumphantly moving on to the next place. Off the top of my head, the only zombie flicks I've seen that doesn't really follow that formula (and I mean PURE zombie flick, not like Resident Evil or a couple of Fulci's flicks, specifically Gates of Hell and The Beyond) would be Cemetery Man (AKA Dellamorte Dellamore) and Bruno Mattei's awful piece of shit Hell of the Living Dead (AKA Night of the Zombies, Virus). Cemetery Man is vaguely decent, mostly for the mindfuck ending and nudity throughout, but Mattei's flick sucks donkey balls. The upside to it, though, is that it constantly moves forward, and I can't think of once when the main characters have to barricade themselves inside of a small building.

Picked up Jericho's book the other day. I'm finishing up Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground soon, and then I'm starting on that. Looks really promising, and the picture section in the middle just has witty comments about everybody that's in a picture with Jericho.

Evile - Enter the Grave If you're a fan of the "Big 5" of US thrash metal (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, and Exodus), and of classic Euro thrash like Destruction, Sodom, and Kreator, then EVILE is the band for you. This British quartet fire on all cylinders to bring back the Bay Area sound, and have enough of the crunch and precision of the Euro thrash acts to satisfy fans of both styles (it still strikes me as odd that the same style of music played on different sides of the pond can sound so different, but it does). Never a dull moment if you love thrash metal, and that's really the only way you cannot love this album: if you're not into thrash. Along with Municipal Waste, Evile is one of those bands that heralds thrash's return as a force to be reckoned with. A satisfactory album indeed. Dying Fetus - Destroy the Opposition Agent, you're right. This is a fine piece of brutality right here. It doesn't have the kick in the balls that Stop at Nothing had with that one breakout song (Stop's case being "One Shot, One Kill," which I think may be my favorite non-Corpse death metal tune), but it's overall better. Dark, sludgy, and technical at all the right moments. I've grown to love John Gallagher's backing vocals, the more burp-y growls, thanks to repeated listens.

Easily the best PPV I've gotten in a LONG time, possibly since Vengeance '03. I check up on RoH here and there, but recently I've been getting more and more into them. I was at Death Before Dishonor V Night 1, at least before intermission, and War of the Wire back in '03, and have two comp tapes somebody from here made for me, as well as the Death Before Dishonor IV DVD. Danielson/McGuinness is one of the best main events I've seen in a LONG time. The beginning kinda bored me, just seemed like superfluous mat wrestling for the sake of doing it, but once they started just taking it to each other I was wide-eyed. The trade-off's of headbutts that busted Danielson open, McGuinness selling his back to the point where he needed a HUGE burst of adrenaline to hit the Tower of London, and the Cattle Mutilation -> MMA Elbows -> Cattle Mutilation finish was GREAT. I even enjoyed the squashes, as seeing Pelle Primeau get thrown all around the ring was fun, as was Jimmy Rave getting dropped on his head a few times. Briscoes/Steenerico was amazing, too, even if Jay's celebration completely shrug off the entire match. The only match that actually disappointed me was Marufuji/Whitmer, actually. I actually like Whitmer, very solid brawler with a decent offense that, true, would fit better in WWE than in RoH, but I like him. Marufuji I like too, though I prefer KENTA, but...the whole match just didn't really click for me. Japan's top Junior Heavyweight against an American brawler...eh. Openign 6-man was great, and the only match my girlfriend (who was fucking exhausted) stayed up to watch (she's slowly turning into a Delirious mark). Castagnoli/Sydal was fun, and made my girl drop her jaw at the 'rana and the Code Red reversal of a 'rana at the end. I completely agree with the 411mania review of the show, too. It's a knockout PPV filled to the brink with great matches, but, like most will agree, the production needs to be up'd. Ring of Honor is a powerhouse now, so spending a few more bucks for some solid cameras shouldn't be out of the question.

For the most part, "Murmaider" kinda bores me, but the chanting towards the end (Murder / Murder / Mermaid / Murder) is amazing. It's sad when a faux-metal release is better than a large part of the real metal releases that same year. Same topic: 5. "Kill You" 4. "Duncan Hills Coffee Jingle" 3. "Awaken" 2. "Thunderhorse" 1. "Birthday Dethday"

I wish Send More Paramedics would've done one US tour before calling it quits in approximately 26 days. I think that, with enough word-of-mouth, they'd have at least gotten a solid following, roughly the size of Municipal Waste's if not a little bit smaller. Gimmicked to the fucking max, but they make up for it with solid thrash.

I thought it was pretty cool. Candido's all cocky, thinking he has the Human Suplex Machine beat, and then as soon as he takes his mind off of him...DEAD. It helped put over (not that it needed to be put over at the time) that Taz was a killing machine, one who could not be stopped but only temporarily slowed down. The match itself was pretty lame, mostly Candido stomping on Taz and Taz throwing some suplexes here and there, but I loved the finish.

Better timing, better moveset, better selling, better look...he was just all-around better than Cena.

I like how he bashes the IWC, saying that Meltzer - who, to my knowledge, is one of the only "internet journalists" that people involved in the industry will talk to - has no credibility, that if you're not involved in the business then you don't know anything...it's same old, same old. That said, Bischoff at least sticks to his opinions.

If you're into underground rock scenes, then hit Boston. We got a decent amount of underground metal, punk, indie, and even a growing underground rap scene. You'd prolly be able to hit a Dropkick Murphys or Robby Roadsteamer show, too. Both play up here all the time, since both are from Boston.

I'm agreeing entirely. It's the only album I've bought this year that came out this year that I'm at all excited about. I'd've said In the Eyes of Fire...but that was last year. Sad that there's not much really worth listening to this year. I wish Summer's End would hurry the fuck up and release their new album. They've got plenty of new tracks, just put it on a disc and get it out there, you SoCal fuckers! EDIT: Stupid Laz. Municipal Waste's The Art of Partying came out this year. Stupid, stupid Laz. Still...it's a lovely thrash album, but it lacks that solid push to be Album of the Year. Not enough dynamics or growth, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, just...lacking, really. It's fun, but not entirely lasting.

Dreamer/Anderson "I Quit" from Guilty as Charged '01: Dreamer is getting his ass kicked for the bulk of the match, like he usually does, and then BAM! Spicolli Driver ("LOUIE!!!!!!!!") through a table...and then Dreamer takes the lining of the table, wraps it around CW's face, and gives him a pseudo-Crossface with the lining of the outside of the table. One of the best finishes in late ECW, if not THE best finish to a match in latter-years ECW. Taz/Candido from Hardcore Heaven '97: Candido is, basically, man-handling Taz outside of some suplexes and armbars here and there, and then Candido puts Taz on the top rope for a superplex. He turns around, mocks Taz by cutting his throat...WHILE TAZ CUTS HIS OWN THROAT. WHAM! Tazmission, and Candido taps as soon as they hit the mat. Lynn/Credible from Anarchy Rulz '00: Ref's out for a sec. Credible thinks Lynn's done, but Lynn gets up, PISSED, and then lays into Credible as the hometown crowd goes berserk. Lynn lifts Credible for a Tombstone, the crowd going nuts, and then Credible rolls out of it into one of his own as the crowd boos mercilessly, and then Lynn rolls back into his own...CRADLES IT...and BAM! ECW World champion, Jerry Lynn, all in front of his hometown crowd. Lynn/Styles from a late '02 TNA weekly PPV (forget the exact date): Styles, the X-Division champion, has been a thorn in Lynn's side since taking Lynn's credit as early as Week 4 (7/10/02). After a solid match with enough high-flying and solid chain-wrestling, Styles looks to end it with the Styles Clash. 1-2-kickout! Styles brings Lynn back up, and Lynn gets him for a tombstone, CRADLES IT...BAM! 2-time X-Division champion Jerry Lynn. What was perfect about the finish was that Lynn used the same move he did a little over 2 years prior to win his first major title.

Dethklok - The Dethalbum It's fun. 'Nuff said. Plus, there are actually some solid songs! On the 2-disc edition, the second disk has a few funny skits (including Dethklok getting in tune, which involves not a single one of them actually knowing how to tune a guitar), but the real highlight of the entire album, as it were, is the track "Birthday Dethday." It is everything one should ever love about death metal, and done with a good amount of hilarity that even fans of the show that don't like death metal, or anybody with a good sense of humor, can appreciate it. All in all, there's plenty of tongue-in-cheek "metal" moments, and it's worth a listen.[/i] There's no actual image online of the real album cover, sadly.

Not trying to start an argument, but two of the three I mentioned that you replied about could classify as legends using your criteria. Raven was a multiple-time ECW World champion, and was involved in THE feud of '95, '96, and the first half of '97. While he was in ECW, they went from a small, cult following in Phildalephia and New York to being on Pay-Per-View. Killings, to a much lesser extent, was a primary focal point of TNA at its inception, and proved to be the company's first breakout start (predating AJ Styles' rise to dominant popularity by a few months), as well as, you know, being the first black man to hold the NWA World Heavyweight title. That alone will make him go down in record books, even if his career outside of the first 6 months of TNA's existence isn't worth shit.

I would say anybody that has had a lasting impact on the business, be it in the form of innovation, overness, or match quality. Dean Malenko didn't make much of a difference to the business overall, but he did help bring technical wrestling to the forefront after years of punch/kick being the norm, so I'd say that makes him a legend. Raven didn't get over that well in the WWF, and his push ended in WCW when he called Bischoff out on the glass ceiling, but he did usher in more cerebral promo's and helped define "hardcore wrestling," so he's a legend. On a more recent note, Ron Killings was the first black man to hold the NWA World Heavyweight title, so he's a legend by proxy.