2018 was a year of singles. Most of the time, when a band is promoting a new album, I find songs that aren’t the singles, that are way better. Not this year. I found a lot f my favorite bands didn’t get past the single stage.Honestly I was kinda underwhelmed. I won’t say disappointed cause there are still some heavy hitters this year. I just was expecting more from Disturbed, Halestorm, Godsmack and Breaking Benjamin. But I’m not reviewing albums (this is next blog). This is all about the top ten songs of 2018. My list. So if you don’t agree that is alright! Music is subjective and we all have different tastes.

As we move onto 2019 (with hopefully a brand new Avenged Sevenfold album or Volbeat around the corner), let’s take a look at my list. Songs on this list are on CD’s that came out this year, even if the song was released last year to promote.

 

10. Sparta- Warkings

These guys look like heavy metal. A viking, crusader, spartan and grim reaper walk into a bar…..yeah OK enough with the jokes. I totally believe the whole Leonidas/300 thing is over saturated but I stumbled across this song a month ago on the Napalm records YouTube and the chorus instantly hooked me. I’m not one for growling vocals but the guest growling vocals fit the song well and the main singer is one of the best singers I think.  And the drums are awesome too. Go check these guys out, their new album came out last month. They are brand new.

9. Rising From Ruins- Judas Priest

Judas Priest destroyed metal this year with Firepower. It is one of the best albums I’ve heard and it is in the top 3 of their catalog. This song has a track before it called Guardians that you can say is an intro, but I’m ranking the actual song here. Halford sounds better here then he has on the last two records and with Richie Faulkner on guitars with Glen Tipton, the young blood does well. He injected life into these guys, even thought they didn’t need it. This song is probably one of my top 3 favs on the new record.

8. Bulletproof- Godsmack

This song has a typical commercial feel to it but I don’t care. First time I heard it, the chorus stuck with me. Godsmack changed direction and it’s a 50/50 with the fan base. I love the song. It’s short and quick but packs something to it. Maybe Godsmack was telling the base they are Bulletproof cause they knew they would freak out over the new direction. But Sully said he isn’t pissed off anymore and it clearly shows.

7. The Dark of You- Breaking Benjamin

After years of being on hiatus, Breaking Benjamin came back in 2015 with Dark Before Dawn. Benjamin doesn’t fix what isn’t broken and that sometimes can be a bad thing. In this case though it’s good. This song is a nice, slow song talking about the world. Ben is a good vocalist and it shows in slow songs. Also, this is a duet, even though you would never know it. In the background, very faint, is a higher pitch voice. It’s Dancing With the Stars own Derek Hough. I don’t know who that is, but it fits in the song when you can hear it.

6. Gladiator- Warkings

You can tell I like these guys because this is the 2nd song on this list. About the movie Gladiator (obviously), it’s got the same fast guitar and double bass as Sparta, but without the growling vocals. The chorus instantly sticks with you (I Am Gladiator, king of the burning sand, I am Gladiator, Are you entertained?) and it’s only 3 and half minutes long. And the video is kick ass (No matter how cheesy).

5. Killing Ourselves To Live- Halestorm

I’m so disappointed that Halestorm has changed so much since there first two albums. The debut one is awesome and the second one is great. I saw them in 2009 when they were just coming out and they are not the same band. Yes I know, bands change but I just feel they are going too far into the whole sex thing (yes there is too far). With that being said, this is easily the best song off the new album and one of there best songs period. Lzzy does have a good voice, and when she lets it out, she lets it out. The guitar is good and the solo is great too. Just a shame this is the only song on this list.

4. Firepower- Judas Priest

Anyone who knows me is obviously a little shocked that the title track for Firepower is number 4, but I will say this: The top 4 songs are really, really close. Separated by one part of a song just about. I had a really hard time ranking these four but in the end Firepower is number 4. The opening track on Firepower, Firepower is a kick in the face opener. Right off the bat, you can tell that the Priest is back! The way Halford just screams FIREPOWER! The metal God is in true form on this track. Halford is basically saying I may be in my 60’s but listen to this! A pure example of a opener that hooks you in.

3. Are You Ready- Disturbed

This track took a bit to grow on me but once it did, it’s a really great track. Like Godsmack, this is a departure from what we know from Disturbed. After coming back with Immortalized in 2015, Disturbed released Evolution. Are You Ready is NOT a representation of the album. Once again, Draiman sings about standing up, rising above oppression, and not giving in to higher powers. Typical Disturbed stuff. But it’s a very powerful song and the last chorus when they change it up from you to we is awesome. Disturbed evolved (pun intended) with this song.

2. Phantom Divine (Shadow Empire)- Kamelot

I am the empire! I love this song. It builds up to the end where, with simple guitar and drums, while Tommy sings I am the empire, makes a great climax and end. With Lauren Hart growling I am in the background, this last part really makes the song I feel. Like a lot of the other songs on this list, it was one of the singles released to promote the new album and does a good job showing you what the album will be like. After two albums, Tommy also feels right at home with Kamelot and he shows his skills in this song.

1. Rats- Ghost

Where were you when Ghost took over the music world in 2018? Seriously, I felt like this song was everywhere the first half of 2018. I remember being in Denver, listening to KBPI, when this came on. The chorus instantly stuck with me. That whole Rats oooooahhhhhhh. I still listen to this song on repeat and it’s almost a year old. It’s right up there with my favorites like Nightmare by Avenged Sevenfold and Turbo Lover by Judas Priest. I just love this song. Ghost really blew up this year, and this song got me into them. Of course, I can tell you right now, with this choice you either fall on one side or the other. You either agree that this is the number 1 song of 2018 or you think it’s vastly overrated. There is no in between I’ve noticed with these guys. People love or hate them. The lyrics also hit true with the world currently. The album is about the black plague in the 14th century, 1347-1351, with this song being about the rats that spread it, but it also has double meaning and can be about beliefs. Just look at the first verse.

In times of turmoil, In times like these. Beliefs contagious, spreading disease.

Pretty true. And a perfect way to sum up 2018.

 

And there you have it, my top ten songs of 2018. I like doing projects like this and be on the look out for more, as I have a plan to do list like this for years in the past. And at the end, when every number one is picked, do the ultimate list. Check back soon for my album reviews and have a Happy New Year!

 

 

 

I remember back in 2008, I was all excited for The Dark Knight. Batman is my favorite super hero hands down. I love his villains, I love the Bat Family, and I love the character. I even have The Dark Knight logo tattooed on me. But a few months before that was another superhero movie. A B character. Someone nobody knew about. Iron Man.

My buddy showed me the trailer and at the time I thought it was a fake. I saw Iron Man 3 times in the theater. I love that movie. It caught everyone by surprise. That drug addict Robert Downey as a superhero? Totally redeemed himself. And now he is a household name. He may that character his own.

But what really got people excited was Samuel l Jackson, in the post credit scene. “I’m here to talk to you about the Avengers Initiative.” BOOM Mic drop. The story was set and over the course of four years we would set up this movie coming in 2012. The Avengers. Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Captain America: The First Avenger, Iron Man 2, all these movies set up that movie.

The Avengers blew the bank wide open. Money flew at Marvel like one of those cash grabbing booths. Marvel was onto something. Something big. Something purple, mad titan big. 6 years later and we are near the end of the first 3 phases. Avengers: EndGame in 2019. and DC is hanging onto this ship, clinging for dear life.

When Marvel brought the concept of a shared universe, nobody thought it would work. Too many characters, movies weren’t long enough. But they did it. They did it with a road map, Kevin Feige, and some very great casting choices (Tom Hiddleson). Yes there were some hiccups such as Tony Stark the Mo….I mean Iron Man 3 ( I personally enjoy Iron Man 3) or The shove everyone in there Age of Ultron that really lasted a few days. (I forgot to mention Thor The Dark World…..which should prove my point). But Marvel was raking in some cash and everyone wanted to join. Universals Dark Universe, which failed twice with Dracula Untold, and The Mummy (It had Tom Cruise and it FAILED). The Monsterverse (The verdict is still out on this one cause Godzilla was a great movie and Kong: Skull Island is good. Godzilla: King of the Monsters looks like it’s going to be every monster fans dream and Kong vs Godzilla is a UFC Monster main event). But there is one universe that I really wish would work but can’t stop tripping over itself. The DCEU, DC comics cinematic universe.

I Love DC comics. Like I said early, Batman is my favorite. I love DC’s storylines. If you look at my graphic novel collection it really is all DC and a few Marvel. Blackest Night, Batman: Hush (The villain and story are both grossly underrated), Batman: Knightfall, are all great stories. I love Green Lantern and the different Lantern Corps. Superman is OK. They are just more interesting to me. But yet I find the MCU a way better franchise.

DC has a decent track record as far as movies go. I won’t go into TV cause I don’t watch the shows much. I might someday. DC’s movies are more quality over quantity I feel. You look at top lists of comic book movies and while Marvel has more on the list, DC’s movies that do make the list are usually ranked high. The Dark Knight is usually always in top 3, most of the time number 1. Superman is a classic. As is Tim Burton’s Batman that changed the game in 1989. Batman Returns is also good, but since it’s so dark and gothic it rarely gets love. Wonder Woman put female superhero movies on the map. But for all these movies you have god awful movies like Batman and Robin (CHILL!) Catwoman, Supergirl, Green Lantern, Superman Returns (that movie is soooooooooo boring) and I really hate to include it but Justice League wasn’t exactly the cream of the crop (EVEN THOUGH IT SHOULDV’E BEEN THE MOST EPIC AWESOME MOVIE EVER…rant over).

This brings us to the DCEU. In 2012 Zack Snyder, of Watchmen and 300 fame, was brought in to reboot Superman, called Man of Steel. Zack has a very specific type of direction and if you’ve seen 300 (everyone has) or Watchmen you know what that is. He can polish his story skills but his design is wow. He hired a little known british actor from The Tudors, Henry Cavill, to play the man of steel. Now at the time, this was standalone. The movie was OK with fans and critics. I love the movie, but I also have a guy-crush on Henry Cavill. Ask my wife. We went and saw Mission Impossible cause of him. Thats OK she likes him too. Anyway the ending is what divided people the most. But what people don’t get it at the time Snyder had a 5 movie plan laid out. You can’t make 5 movies if you don’t make money though. Zack was trying to deconstruct Superman and build him into the hero we all know. That happens in JL. But him breaking Zod’s neck really pissed people off.

But back to the brief history lesson. At 2013 Comic con, DC announced they were going to jump into the shared universe business. They thought, let’s throw in BATMAN. Batman Vs Superman. The stage was set.

Warner Brothers began plotting out this shared universe. The problem was they were playing catch up to Marvel. This is where there first big mistake is. Instead of just doing it their way, they had Justice League set to be released before they even established the League. Green Lantern wasn’t till 2020, Aquaman 2018, The Flash 2018. And they were going to throw Wonder Woman into BVS. She would also get a solo movie. It was just too much. And BVS, I enjoy the 3 hour cut, collapsed under that weight. It didn’t even gross a billion dollars at the box office. Rumors swirled that WB was scared. But the show moved on, and hope was on Suicide Squad. That failed too. So 2017 rolls around and Zack Snyder is fired. Joss Wheaton of Avengers fame is brought in to polish the script and do reshoots. Wonder Woman comes out and does great. All is right in DC land.

Except Justice League comes out and it tanks, hard. Harder than my 49ers this year. The reshoots are visible. They are trying to be like Marvel. Batman is a joke cracker. That’s not what he is. Superman’s upper lip is so distracting (Henry Cavill had a moustache cause he was filming MI6 and he couldn’t shave it off so they had to take it off CGI style). Then news comes out about Zack’s firing and how much of the movie was changed and this train is off the rails. Shakeups are made in DC films and now the focus is on standalones, with no team ups in sight. Not really a shared universe anymore. And it had so much potential. and to top it off, Aquaman is the only release in 2018 while Shazam is the only one 2019 and WW2 is 2020.

The MCU is a stable ship while the DCEU was at one point the Titanic. Things seem to be fine now, and with Aquaman getting good reviews, maybe they finally have righted the ship. But the big thing is that from the beginning, DC has tried to play catch up and focus on being Marvel instead of themselves. The MCU had a vision, the DCEU did not. First it was Darkseid, then it was the Legion of Doom (Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke is the greatest thing we will never see again) now who knows.

The MCU knows who it is and sticks with it. They crack jokes at serious moments, which is fine. I love most of the jokes. Drax is an idiot. The DC set up this serious universe and then tries to make Batman Star-Lord. It doesn’t work. You have different characters.

The MCU also has producer Kevin Feige, who let’s the directors make movies, but gives them basic points about where this story is going. Some movies are self-contained, like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, or Black Panther, but they still effect the world they are in. DC has Warner Brothers, who like to tell you to make steak for dinner and to spice it up your way, while giving you the spices and saying here’s what it needs to be exactly. If that was confusing that’s the whole point. James Wan was left alone with Aquaman and it seems to have paid off. Patty Jenkins was left alone and WW was a massive hit.

Marvel built up to Infinity War and EndGame. They earned the big payoff. DC basically figured you would care about these characters without getting to know them. Ben Affleck’s Batman is The Dark Knight Returns Batman. He is different from Christian Bale’s Batman or Keaton’s. But DC expected you to act like you’ve known him for years.

Now you are probably thinking I’m a hardcore DCEU hater. I’m not. I enjoy the movies, I watch them. But I am also not going to let me enjoyment of them cloud the fact that it is not a better universe then the MCU. Now in 5-10 years maybe that changes. In my personal opinion that can happen with 4 simple fixes.

1. A unified vision and road map

DC needs to make a blueprint for 2020-2025 and stick with it. Plan out the characters and movies you want to focus on and focus on them. Yes give yourself wiggle room like Marvel did with Phase 3 and Spider-Man. Marvel announced phase 3 back in 2014 before Age of Ultron and stuck with it for the most part. They gave themselves room to put Spiderman in Thor Ragnarok’s place and simply pushed that back and Black PAnther back from November 2017. Same with Ant-Man and the Wasp. It only pushed Captain Marvel back. The only movie on that slate that didn’t come out was The Inhumans (made into a horrible TV show).

If DC can get a focus on one plan instead of just going with what’s hot, they can make movies that are good. I know they can. If Suicide Squad was given more time it probably would be better than it was. We are already seeing this with The Batman. They are slowly cooking this. Now throw in a sequel to Superman, The Flash, Green Lantern Corps, Aquaman 2 (it’s coming we know this), and possibly WW3, you can cap it off with JL2. That gives you 6 movies to focus on with wiggle room for Shazam 2 if it’s successful.

2. Build around your characters

The big different between the heroes of DC and Marvel is Marvel are regular people trying to be Gods, with one God in Thor and DC’s heroes are Gods trying to be among people, with Batman as the human. Green Lantern is a space cop whose ring is only as limited as his mind and will, so that can place him in God status I feel. DC should embrace this. I think there heroes are better than Marvel.

Some of your characters you can use for jokes. Green Lantern, if you introduce the Corp, can use jokes. Superman can be too, along with hope and goodness. Batman cannot be used for jokes, unless it’s sick, sadistic Joker jokes. You can say some of the MCU characters blend in, with some differences. DC can use this to get a leg up on Marvel and make Batman and Superman tonally different.

3. Accept that you won’t catch up to Marvel and you won’t be them

This is a big one. Accept that you are already years behind and go at your own pace. Introduce the solo movies and work up to the team up. at this point you are so far behind that if you try to catch up again, you will just fall down more stairs. If DC just goes at their own pace and does movies their way, it’ll add enough change that they can make money. As long as Marvel puts out good product, the superhero bubble won’t burst. Be your own universe. Dont try and be like them. Have Batman be dark. Have Superman be cheery and fun. Have Wonder Woman be love and bravery (they already did this).

You will never catch up to Marvel unless you put out 5 movies a year, and that will cause the superhero bubble to burst. Don’t be afraid that Darkseid is coming out to close to Thanos. The two aren’t the same. Thanos kills half the universe for Lady Death (or in the movies case, to stop starvation and use of resources and well population control) while Darkseid just wants to rule everyone and everything.

4. Last but not least studio interference

Studio interference is usually a bad thing. Batman and Robin is a big example. Warner wanted it to be more kid friendly and we got that pile of dogshit.. Sometimes studio interferance is a good thing. Most of the time it is not. Spider Man 3 another example. Venom was just one too many in that movie. I know that since Warner Brother is fronting the bill they want a say. That’s fine. But the way they did it with Justice League did not help. Was Snyders original movie bad? Maybe. We will never know. My point is that maybe it wouldn’t have been. Warner tried to blend two different movies together and you can see that most of the cast did not like it. Ben Affleck is practically just waiting for his paycheck in some scenes. If Warner didn’t order a bunch of reshoots, JL had a better shot at making a profit. Would it? Who knows. But we would have gotten a better looking upper lip. The movie could’ve still been shit. The point is is that anything really could’ve happened. people who hate BVS in theaters like the 3 hour version. Also don’t give us caps on time. Infinity War is 2 and half hours long but doesn’t feel like it. A good movie will make a long movie seem short.

 

Right now when a MCU movie is released, we don’t think it’ll get panned whereas a DCEU movie comes out and we hold our breath waiting for reviews. Will it suck or not? It shouldn’t be this way. The DCEU has so much potential. It is full of gold ready to be released. It just needs a few fixes and maybe, in ten years from now, or sooner, we will have our Thanos moment in the DC. Darkseid vs The Justice League. It would be epic. But until then I will be waiting for Avengers: EndGame