Sometimes in life, we seem to exhaust our supply of books, music and movies. This is a great shame, as these are things which most people find important. So, in an attempt to help you out of that rut you may find yourself in, this column is dedicated to Recommended Reading/Watching/Listening.

Recommended Reading

Books by Terry Pratchett
The entirety of the Discworld series.

Seriously. If you haven’t read them, go get them. All of them. Today.

Books by Dan Abnett
The Eisenhorn trilogy.

I got this packaged as one book. It was a great buy, and an even better read. It’s from the Black Library, i.e. a collection of books by many different authors that uses the Warhammer universe. There are a lot of good books published by this section of the games workshop, and this is, I believe, one of, if not the best, out of the twenty or so I’ve read from there.

Books by Tom Lloyd
The Twilight Reign series.

I’m currently in love with this series, and have read both the first and second book twice, even though the first one is only a few years old. I cannot wait for the release of the fourth, and recommend it to anyone who is a fan of fantasy novels. However, as it’s still being written, be prepared to developing a thirst and longing for the future releases!

Recommended Watching

Television

Gavin and Stacey

Absolutely hilarious look at the misadventures of a couple from England, with some bizarre and truly hysterical characters. After all, who does not have an elderly relative like the infamous uncle Brynn?

Doc Martin

A show I like, but cannot really explain why. I was originally roped into watching it by a good friend of mine, and it grew on me during the first few episodes. Portrays the life of a surgeon who quit, essentially due to personal reasons stemming from the pressure of the job, and now managed a general practise in a small village, with residents ranging from the curiously odd and rustic, to the utterly insane (in some cases literally). Humerous, with an oft, well put cynical poke at the ignorance of the masses.

Green Wing

Absolutely hysterical, brilliant show, with brilliant writers, with a flair for the extremely bizarre. Might not be for everyone, but those that like it, love it.

The IT Crowd

Another hysterical show, similar awesome factor to Green Wing, but with a slightly less serious outlook. Lots of fun, especially for those among you who can laugh at over emphasized problems faced by the computer department this series focuses on.

Most, if not all of these are British, I believe, but they are well worth the effort to acquire. Find an importer, get a friend in England to send you them, whatever, the rewards will be worth it.

Anime

Black Lagoon
Full Metal Alchemist
Ghost in the Shell
Gunslinger Girl

Movies

A Beautiful Mind
Black Sheep (hilarious, must watch it)
Wanted
Everything Resident Evil. (Watch it, love it, become one with it.)
Lord of War

Recommended Listening

I hope I know enough of the ins and outs of these bands – unless stated otherwise all of these will have at one time or another fallen into my usual listening habit, which is to single out one band, or two bands, and listen to them over and over again, for days. Seriously, my rig is running all the time, and it is ALWAYS playing music, unless I’m talking on skype or playing video games. One time I spent a month or more in constant exposure to Samael, for which I am very grateful to fate. As a result, I might comment on these in an unusual way, listening to one similarly sounding thing all the time builds up a lot of unusual effects. Like most of the bands I’ve listened to for over a week at a time have an unconscious association to a book series, or whatever I was doing at the time (I seriously have an association with a particular song by Flyleaf that is as broad as ‘using linux’. It’s very weird to have images of transparence konsole windows with red text pop up uninvited in your head because you put a song on), that I get every time I listen to them after having taken a break from them. So, if anything comes across as an unusual or abstract concept, feel free to pass it along and I’ll try to get back to you.

Metal

Last month you were promised a metal month! so here it is! Note that there will be at least an electronic section as well, so if you don’t like metal, don’t worry, just skip a bit. There may also be classical! Depends on how I feel when I finish going through my metal collection, though.

The Agonist

Metal band with a female screaming lead. Makes for very pleasant listening, but unfortunately I have not known about the band for long enough to be able to give you an intimate description, though I will still recommend it, even if I cant put why to paper.

The Berzerker

Annoying introductions, but I’ve been listening to their album “Animosity” recently, and the actual music? Pure, unadulterated industrial thrash metal. Or pretty much where I’d place it anyways. With a hint of death, perhaps.

Becoming the Archetype

Specifically referring to: Terminate Damnation. Pretty sweet album, from the songs I’ve heard from it, nice rhythms and the right amount of metal.

Behemoth

A very popular band, and the actual music is very good, but I’m not so hot on the vocals, to be perfectly blunt. Worth listening to though, even without many people swearing by it, if nothing else, just for the sense of weight the instrumentals have. Pne of many bands that could be improved by a different vocalist, perhaps.

Bloodbath

One of the single most incredible bands in the world. Period. Listen to EVERYTHING by them, memorise it, love it. If you don’t have time to do that though (and if so, shame on you, bloodbath deserves your time!) then make sure you get in the album “Resurrection through carnage”, and specifically the song “Eaten” from the album “Nightmares made Flesh”. It might seem a bit weird, but Bloodbath (ESPECIALLY Eaten) is a phenomenally good candidate for a sing-a-long provided your companions aren’t too weirded out. GREAT sense of rhythm, great sense of pace, one of the few things I’ve listened too where you actually want to move with the music. Another of the great things about them? If it gets stale, then leave off for a few weeks, and when you come back, it’ll be just like the first time you listened. If you read this and listen to NOTHING else from it, listen to Bloodbath

Cannibal Corpse

A classic. Old school death core. Not, I feel, my favourite by anything other than a medium to large margin, but dependable. Just like most music, needs a certain mood to appreciate it most (the exception being things like Bloodbath and Aamael, which force the right mood into you as you listen). Has quite a slow feel, but slow like a glacier, not a lame horse. Think Morbid Angel and Nile, in terms of speed. It is also the best selling death metal/core band of all time, from what I’ve read. Its probably worth mentioning that there are two distinct vocal styles, since they changed vocalist at one stage. Personally I prefer the new guy (George Fisher), though many prefer the old one (Chris Barnes – he went on to be the vocalist in six feet under) interesting note: several countries have banned their album art cover from appearing on shelves, or the bands live concert performance. Which I personally feel is quite an immature gesture. I mean, if the album art cover would actually be offensive to people, I can sort of see that, but banning them from performing in concert? A concert where, presumably, only fans of themselves would go? Where is the logic?

Dååth

A pretty new addition to my collection, Dååth is none the less a pleasant listen. Feels a lot lighter than things like Cannibal Corpse, but a little faster, too. With the occasional introduction of a gripping rhythm, or sections of a song you want to listen to over and over again, but with the rest being fairly average, Dååth is not the best of this collection, but certainly not to be forgotten about.

Disturbed

By no means death metal, or even death core, it is still metal and worth a mention. Disturbed is not as satisfying as its heavier counterparts, and has no unique item to rise it above the rest. Instead of being great, or brillant but flawed, Disturbed is just consistently above average, providing a pleasant listening experience through and through. While I wont listen to Disturbed and come away thinking “dead jesus, I need more” I will enjoy listening to it, and the rhythms it has can be enhanced quite a bit more than usual by having -just- the right mood when listening. Makes a good candidate for doing something to, it’s not so jaw droppingly awesome that you’ll do nothing but listen till you are just able to wrestle your mind away, but it will fade nicely into the backdrop, aiding the fight against monotony, without shooting yourself in the foot.

Hate Eternal

I’m not sure how old this band actually is, but it -feels- old in its musical style, in the same way that Morbid Angel is. Old school is perhaps a more flattering word, which it does most definitely deserve. I don’t have many songs by them, but from what I’ve seen it’s thrashy death metal, and well worth the listen, nice and rhythmic, though something I tend to want to listen to in short bursts, as opposed to the usual. Don’t believe I’ve ever listened to this band for more than an hour, tops. Tthough that could be because I only have four songs – I’ll have to look into that.

Mendeed

Thrash metal, and very good in places. Unfortunately, I have lost my album of it, and only have a few songs, so I feel I cant properly review them, but I remember distinctly that some of their songs were not so good, but a few were very good. If thrash metal is your thing, then you probably already know of them. If thrash metal isn’t your thing, go ahead and give it a try!

Meshuggah

Phenomenal. I believe I read somewhere about the band trying to create harmony through discord, or something. Either way, they rule. Specifics to check out include the album Obzen, and the song Spasm, from the album Nothing (the remastered edition). Brilliant band, and I shall be forever grateful to the friend who got me into them. Has a sense of power similar to that of Cannibal Corpse, but without a speed that ever remains quite the same. Try finding “Pravus” on youtube, and you’ll get to see what I mean. That or Dancers to a Discordant System (both from the album Obzen).

Morbid Angel

Way way old school death metal, Morbid Angel have been cited as inspiration for a number of modern (and not so modern!) death metal/core bands. A slow feeling, similar in that capacity to Cannibal Corpse, without quite having the power of its younger siblings, Morbid Angel still makes for compelling listening.  Being one of the earliest bands, Morbid Angel was one of the few to literally define the genre. Well worth a listen.

Satana Kozel

Russian death/folk metal band. Insanely difficult to track down, so I’m including a youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD2y7dZfB58
This is an absolutely epic band, and it includes an accordion in metal! (win). A lot less heavy than a lot of the bands mentioned, but it wins sheer metal use by the pure fact that they are the only band I have ever seen that can make an accordion sound menacing. As i said before, very difficult to get hold of, and I’ve only been able to acquire one album – but it was well worth the effort!

Nightrage

Greek band, suffers from the occasional song with less than stellar vocals, but check out Silent Solitude and At the ends of the Earth, as they are pretty good.

Nile

Nile is a more recent band, with a similar pacing to Morbid Angel. With musical themes often inspired by ancient Egyptian mythology, and the works of H.P. Lovecraft, Nile present an interesting auditory experience. Listening to it feels something like a more modern version of Morbid Angel – there really is a lot of inspiration plain if you listen to both. I honestly don’t know which I prefer, and encourage you to try both.

Samael

My view of Samael is similar to that of Bloodbath – it needs to be listened to. Electronic black metal from Switzerland, it varies dramatically from album to album as the band members try new things. Recommended albums if you like electronic music: Passage and Reign of Light. If you like more standard metal, try Blood Ritual. A superb and rich sound, Samael caters to just about any mood you can imagine, and there are too many songs to recommend a single one. Baphomets Throne is very very catchy – though don’t listen to it unless you don’t mind having it stuck in your head for the whole day. Though, that isn’t an unpleasant experience, trust me.

Six Feet Under

Depth and power, can’t really say it any other way. Songs to check out are This Suicide and Murdered in the Basement. Headed by Chris Barnes, so if you like this, you’ll probably like the first incarnation of Cannibal Corpse too, and vice versa. Basically apply everything I said on that band, barring the controversy and George Fisher, though it is a different sound.

Suicide Silence

Very different sound, very nice sound. You’d really have to hear it to see what I mean. It sounds almost.. fluid. Like it wavers and runs, or like a form of distortion that works. Ripply, or whatever. Though that could be another thing that I get because I listen to this sort of stuff all the time. But yeah, find it.

Heaven Shall Burn

Recent acquisition, though I absolutely love it. Check out “Endzeit” by them on youtube, it’s well worth it.

Through the Eyes of the Dead

The first death metal/core band I ever listened to, with rich, powerful sounds, and a terrific pace. Best album is probably Bloodlust – specifically check out When Everything becomes Nothing, Two Inches from a Main Artery, and Force Fed Trauma. Absolutely terrific death core through and through, right to the very center. All the power of the slower bands, but more speed. However, they did change the vocalist, and I haven’t listened to anything after that change yet, so I cant say whether or not they retain their sheer awesomeness. It would be a shame if they didn’t – it really permeated your skull with its epicness.

Whitechapel

Excellent quality, but very little remarkable to distinguish it, so I cant really say much. It made the list though, so worth digging out!

That about does it for metal month!

On to electronic! Where I will say a lot less, and cover many less bands!

Holy Men, and Cherouvim – both in the same category, Nitzhonot, which is basically a variant of psy trance. Great stuff, and sadly lacking from the average collection.

Paul Oakenfold – makes some excellent stuff, specifically check out Dread Rock and Hypnotise.

Bonkers 17 – not a band, but a collection of electronic artists in one album. Three cd’s worth of music, and while not everything will be to everyone’s taste, it’s a very good way to sample a lot of new artists quickly. Specifically listen to Krater by Infinate Dimensions ft. ephe.

Unfortunately a lot of the electronic I listen to (and I do listen to so very, very much >.>) is from artists too obscure for you to find them easily, or what nor. Or even individual songs, which make it harder still. But I recommend checking the music section at new grounds. There are a number of excellent electronic artists there that make good stuff. Specifically worth checking out are Dimrain47, Realfaction and Helix6. Definitely check out Drowning by Realfaction. Definitely.

I’m probably missing some, but there is no way I’m going to remember more than a handful without reading through a list, and my electronic collection isn’t exactly… oganised. Metal is nice and simple, but yeah. So you’ll have to make do, I’m afraid, since it would take a long time to index all of it. Not to mention I listen to a lot of electronic on youtube while scouting out potential new music, and then forget the names before I’m able to get hold of them.

Indie corner! (note, not actual indie, as the genre, since I gather there is one, I just mean stuff from artists you can track down, but don’t have a built up commercial presence, or records in shelves.

Helix6 – available on the newgrounds audio portal, absolutely amazing. Industrial electronic, and free (legally, creative commons, and all that) to download! Specifically recommend checking out the song Archetype.

Turmion Katilot – Finnish industrial metal, which I have been told translates to ‘midwives of destruction’. Last I heard, they have ONE album, which you can only buy from their site. Not to everyone’s taste, but a very very good band, and worth listening to everything of theirs just in case you’re one of those that will love it. Note: give the vocals chance to grow on you – they did on me.

Not Recommended

Music

Arch enemy – Eh. Yeah, that’s probably the best way to sum it up. When you first hear it the women with gutterals is new, and a nice gimmick, and some songs are really nice, but its a lucky dip, really. The song My Apocalypse, for example, is really good. But as far as I can tell pretty much everything else in the album is weedy. Like Skeleton Dance, and worst of all, Nemesis. It starts off fine, and most of it isn’t terrible, but the lyrics, oh god. It’s like a toddler wrote them. The sort of things that make a nice concept but are so damn substance lacking that you just want to cringe, and worst of all? There is a pause in the middle where most of the instruments slow down and back off, presumably to try to add emotional weight to something that sounds like it came out of the child’s version of The Three Musketeers. Maybe it’s a bad album, and if anyone knows that their other albums are different, I would be glad to hear it. You can ask Elgee to get in touch with me, but unfortunately I’m going to have to give this a thumbs down from my perspective.

Sometimes in life, we seem to exhaust our supply of books, music and movies. This is a great shame, as these are things which most people find important. So, in an attempt to help you out of that rut you may find yourself in, this column is dedicated to Recommended Reading/Watching/Listening.

I will do my best to bring you great books, movies, TV shows and music for your personal enjoyment!

Recommended Reading

Books by H.P Lovecraft

• The Alchemist (1908)
• The Call of Cthulhu (1926)

Books by Steven Erikson

• Gardens of the Moon (1999)
• Deadhouse Gates (2000)

I don’t want to overload you with books to read just yet, so I will leave it there for now! The reasons for my recommendations here are simple. H.P Lovecraft was an author before his time. His grasp of modern horror is what sparked Steven King to become a modern horror writer, and Lovecraft’s work is simply amazing, when considering the time he was writing in. He creates a spin on the modern pathos of evil that has survived to this day.

Now, Steven Erikson… I cannot say enough good things about this man. The character rich world this man creates will always leave you satisfied. You’ll be on the edge of your seat the entire time, never able to put his books down. With plot twists in what is already a masterfully planned work will see you rooting for a wide range of characters, both good and evil.

Recommended Watching

Television Series

• Bones
• House
• Dexter
• Sons of Anarchy
• One Tree Hill (My wife insists that this be added…)
• SG:Universe

Movies

• Avatar
• The Boondock Saints
• Shooter
• 300
• V for Vendetta
• The Last Samurai

Anime Series (For You Anime Lovers!)

• Vampire Knight
• Rurouni Kenshin
• RahXephon
• Witchblade
• Darker Than Black
• Code Geass

Well, that should give you quite a bit to watch for now. Believe me, this is by no means a complete list of what I would recommend. These are simply shows and movies off the top of my head. Hopefully, you will enjoy them. If it’s not to your taste, well, be sure you check out next month’s column and you may just find something you’ll enjoy!

Recommended Listening

Now then, music is always a touchy subject, as there is a very wide range of genres out there. My musical taste is pretty varied, but I will tell you this straight out… the chances of you finding any rap, hip hop and such on these lists… is extremely slim. It’s not a genre I personally enjoy. Except for old school hip hop. That stuff just has rhythm anyone can enjoy.

Now, just so you know, my band lists will include some classics, which you should already know.. if not though, have no fear! You are about to get a taste of greatness! Also, as a point, I will try to include some lesser known bands which I think you should take a chance on. This is the point in your life where you can break free of the mainstream, corporate trash that being fed to the masses.

So, on to the list!

Metal Bands

• Metallica
• Iron Maiden
• Slayer
• Pantera
• 36 Crazyfists
• Fireball Ministry

This list could go on and on. I am a big metal fan, and there are many metal genres, so make sure you check out next month’s list for metal, as I will have more metal bands for your enjoyment. These metal bands have hard hitting hooks and riffs, combined with lyrics that you’ll love.

Now then, let us continue!

Rock/Alternative

• Flyleaf
• Jack’s Mannequin
• 12 Stones
• Halestorm
• Dropping Daylight
• Story of the Year
• Theory of a Deadman
• Nazareth
• Eddie and the Cruisers

I could list a hundred more bands, but this will get you started. You no doubt see some band names in there you’ve never heard of before. Give them a chance. You may not like them, but then again, they just may change your life. I like these bands not only for their instrumental greatness, but their lyrics are simply something I can identify with, whatever my mood happens to be.

Punk Rock

• Dead Kennedys
• Bad Religion
• The Clash
• Dropkick Murphys
• Flogging Molly
• Stiff Little Fingers
• Streetlight Manifesto

More than enough for your listening pleasure. All are great bands if you like Punk Rock or Ska. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Now, I am gong to drop a final list under Blues. If you don’t like Blues, you just haven’t been listening to the right stuff! As a guitarist, I simply love the Blues. I always figured when I picked up a guitar for the first time, that once I got real good, I would shred. Metal solo’s all day, every day! Face melting, ear murdering awesome. Was I ever wrong. When I am sitting around and I start playing for myself, I always end up playing Blues. I chalk this up to a good friend of mine who I’ve known for about 19 years now. He was my inspiration, and when he played the Blues, he did it from the heart and soul.

On to the list.

Blues

• Robert Johnson
• B.B King
• Albert King
• John William Coltrane
• Muddy Waters

I’ll not create a huge list here for Blues, as not many people are fans of this genre.

Ladies and gentlemen, this will conclude this month’s Recommended Reading/Watching/Listening column! I encourage you all to expand your taste in music, movies and tv shows. Try something new once in a while. Who knows, you make be thankful you did!