Struck By Lightning - Serpents

BAND: Stuck By Lightning - Myspace
ALBUM: Serpents (2009)
LABEL: Translation Loss Records
RATING: 8/10
FAVORITE TRACK: Becoming Earth
SIMILAR: Mastodon, High On Fire, Disfear
REVIEWER: Zach Roesch





Columbus natives, Struck by Lightning, come with no hidden agendas or strings attached. If you want fast and heavy music, you’ve come to the right place. Drawing influence from early Mastodon and High on Fire, the band’s musical chops are not beating a new path. However, they are certainly tearing that path to shreds. With a mix of sludgy and intelligent guitar riffing, their punk infused anthems make listeners want to sing along.

The debut album is an amazing start; something not many bands can say. This is most likely due to singer/guitarist Greg Lahm’s presence. As a previous member of fellow Translation Loss band, Mouth of the Architect, musical success is nothing new. It is also obvious where Struck by Lightning got their sludgy side; seeing as Mouth of the Architect is the new wave of slowed down metal.

The only down-side to this amazing album is its lack of depth. Pretty much all of the tracks give the same feel. They only venture into new fields in a couple tracks (Becoming Earth/Collection of Teeth). Everything else is fairly similar. If Struck by Lightning could somehow find a way to keep their full-force metal driving and change things up every now and then, they would accomplish a perfect 10.

Bottom Line: Struck by Lightning have showed what they are made of. Their debut album “Serpents” is a huge first step. The album drives with its d-beat anthems and sludgy choruses. However, if they could find a way to make things more interesting, they will strike musical gold.

Track Listing:
01. Silent and Still
02. Nothing Sacred
03. The Watchful Eye
04. Supercell
05. Widowmaker
06. Tightening the Noose
07. Becoming Earth
08. Bottomless Pit
09. Collection of Teeth
10. False Hope
11. The Herd

Back To School!

Hey Capital, how's it going? Well I hope good. So it's the second week of school and I'm wondering if the rest of you out there are busy or stressed out yet. Are you? good because I am. While it's very exciting to be back at school with all my sisters and friends it's not very nice to be this stressed out already. :(

Formal Recruitment officially starts this week and I couldn't be more excited for it! My big isn't in the sorority currently and seeing as she is Sr. Rush, Kaitlin who is Jr. Rush has stepped up. I offered to help her out and this explains my busy life. It's unfortunate to be this busy but it's also really cool to be on the other side of things this year for recruitment.

In addition to rush, classes are already starting to get ridiculous as well. Seriously, is it really that necessary to learn five different ways to tally up votes for an election result. I personally don't plan on going into a field that requires that. But nonetheless, there I sit in Batelle every tuesday and thursday hitting myself in the head with a pen.

Even though I am extremely busy and I'm sure lots of you are feeling that second semester pressure to either continue to do well or to bring up your GPA, I hope that you're doing well or at least doing your best. If you have free time or any interest at all you should check out Greek Life Kickoff Night this wednesday night starting at seven pm in schneider lounge. Or if you can't make it out pickup a registration sheet in front of the Student Activities Office and turn it in by thursday at 10 am. Thanks Capital, Enjoy your week!

New Record 3

Russian Circles- Geneva

Other Albums by this Artist: Enter, Station

Similar Artists: If These Trees Could Talk (Ohio), City of Ships, Tera Melos, Do Make Say Think, This Will Destroy You.

Assassin's Creed 2

So I started my long thanksgiving break last Monday because I had no classes on Tuesday. So began the long journey into video game heaven. I picked up a copy of Assassin's Creed 2 and Modern Warfare 2 last week. to give you a peek into my personal life, yes I beat both of them in one week.

Assassin's Creed 2 is a direct sequel to the 2007 game Assassin's Creed 1 (as it now must be known.) You start the game again as unlucky bartender and all around nice guy Desmond Miles. Desmond is, as before, an unwitting pawn in the corporation Abstergo's plan to find all of the old relics of the world. Of course this is the Assassin's Creed universe so there is always a dual story.

This time around Desmond has to relive his ancestor Ezio Auditore's memories. Desmond does this in order to learn to be an Assassin in his own life because Ezio is not an assassin when the game starts. ezio is forced to become and assassin after he, an his family, are betrayed and his father and two brothers are murdered by the Templar order. The only problem I had with the story is that, besides the begining where there is a lot of expostition about Ezio taking revenge and what he plans to so next, the plot is very loosely strung together. It is very hard to follow. Also the large amount of italian names threw it off. I don't think the developer should apologize for the italian names, but I lost trak after the first few names that were spouted off. the story is good though. It is extremley well written and every character feels unique in their own right and you get to see historical characters and places in full 'Motion capture' technology.

As with the first game, there are two main parts to the game. There is the free running parkour exploration part of the game. Then there is the assassination/combat portion. The whole game has gotten a revamp in the terms of design. There are side quests now that actually branch off from the main story. There are also more ways to navigate the environment now that you pick up along the way. The combat has also had a small revamp. You now actually have a reason to fight with your fists this time around. I have to say that the disarm/counter kills were the best part of the combat. also you can fight with the hidden blade this time as well instead of just using it for assassinations. you can buy weapons and armor as well and choose the weapons that you want to use. There are also upgrades to the hidden blade that you recieve that include getting a second blade (get it? Assassin's Creed 2.) as well as using poision (my personal favortie) and also a gun. Going back to the side quests for a brief second. Yes, the assassination's are the most fun. be careful though. you'll be going about each one differently.

The biggest revamp this time around is of course the mission structure. You won't be doing the same three things for every assassination this time around. The mission structure is more story based this time around and you won't know what to expect next when it comes to the missions. you'll be taking out guards that are watching positions, you'll cause hell in the street with street brawls to clear the street, and rescue VIPs just to name a few. You also have a home base of operation that actually works for you this time and there is reason to actually go back to your villa. If you pour money into the right buildings at the right times, then you'll have more money than you'll know what to do with.

Closing Comments: So its been two years since the first Assassin's Creed and the series is better for it. Assassin's Creed 2 is better in every way from its predecessor. If you love stealth kills, jumping from high places, and running on roof tops, then get Assassin's Creed 2.

Final Verdict: Must Own

New Record 2

Baroness-Blue Album

Other Albums by this artist: Red Album

Similar Artists: Converge, Mastodon, Shrinebuilder, Torche

New Record

Pelican-What we have come to need

Other Albums by this Artist: Australasia, Fire in our Throats will beckon the thaw, City of Echoes

Similar Artists: Isis, Baroness, Russian Circles, Jesu

Looney's Tunes

Heavy Stuff:
The Great Misdirect - Between the Buried and Me
This album gets better with every listen. Each song has its own individual kind of feel to it. Starting with the pretty mellow Mirrors, then moving through all sorts of crazy goodness from Obfuscation and Disease, Injury, Madness. Then they move into the evil carnival beginning of Fossil Genera: A Feed From Cloud Mountain, a song that morphs into the progressive heaviness that Between the Buried and Me does so well. Then comes the great misdirect of The Great Misdirect: the acoustic ballad Desert of Song. This moves into the epic Swim to the Moon which really defines the album. Swim to the Moon is itself enough to make the whole album worth buying. It has all the great characteristics of an epic BTBAM creation. It's got the intricate scale work with a double-guitar approach that I find something new that I like about every time I listen to it. With the solo trade-offs, great bass backing, keyboards, intricate drumwork, and of course the epic breakdowny section, Swim to the Moon deserves the Prog-Song of the Year Award.

I think its pretty apparent, but just to be clear, overall, The Great Misdirect is another triumph from Between the Buried and Me, one of the most influential metal bands of the last 10 years.

Recommend? MOST DEFINITELY

Not So Heavy Stuff:
Phish - Joy
Phish is back in action, finally. Their new album Joy has all the makings of a great feel-good folk, blues, jam album. They definitely have not lost their touch for their style.

Recommend? YES, if you like Phish


Modest Mouse - No One's First and You're Next
Modest Mouse's new album is very Modest Mouse-like. After a few listens through, I'm not too impressed. Modest Mouse definitely sticks to their style with this new album, venturing not at all from their safe zone. Although a couple songs are worth listening to for some new type of Modest Mouse sound (The Whale Song, King Rat) it seems like they filled the majority of this album with fluff.

Overall: Worth listening to, not worth buying.