Sara Hammerzmith

Wiihoo guys! So today it arrived: My Serious Black fanbox. Haven’t been waiting for this one for forever, only like, two days unlike the Kitchen Box from Lordi. I was so excited when I got the text this morning I’ve been walking around giggling all day just wanting to dig into it, but I had to finish a couple of schoolassignments – WHICH I HAVE NOW. Good on me.

And also. While trying to book the flighttickets to SAS, which ended up being more like SAS taking the money and not giving us tickets, it’s a good thing it came. Or else there would have been a massacre or two. Anyhow:

So here it is! This is the box in all it’s glory. So what is really inside of it? Well first of all:

The album itself of course! This is the limited edition with three bonus tracks I haven’t listened to yet, but soon soon I tell you!

So what is this? Well first of all, it’s a merchandise pass. Means that, if I want to, I get 10% when buying their merch at their show. The card is a Certificate of Authencity, same thing that was in Lordi’s box. And then three picks from each of the string bending members! LOVE IT.

THIS THIS THIS! Remember the old idol cards you’d have when you were younger? THEY ARE FUCKING BACK. And they are signed too, that was QUITE a surprise actually, I had expected them to just be plain! But nope, not here! LOVE IT.

And the last thing in the box: The Shirt!

So, I went with a size Medium shirt naturally, since it was the smallest one available. And… maybe it’s me who’ve been wearing too many girlies for the last couple of years, but seriously, IT’S HUGE! It’s like a tent? I could bring this to the festival and live in it? And I had even thought about taking a larger size so I could make a dress out of it… Well, that sure wasn’t necessary! We’ll see what happens with this one.

Well, that was that… I hope we are luckier when we talk to SAS tomorrow so we can get this damned trip booked THIS YEAR.

// Sara

So, I did go to the dentist today, sadly, not a lot was accomplished more than that I’ll have a tooth removed this Friday, which scares the hell out me, AND bums me a bit since we planned to go to Boda Borg on Saturday, which is a no can do because of that, BUT. No darkness without a little light. After being at the dentist and being scared and worked up my dad and I went down to Knastret, the best record store in the world, and I came out with two new albums to my little collection.

Both albums bought was by the Canadian group Kittie. I haven’t been able to STOP listening to “Spit” ever since I got it, so it was “time” (even though it was just a week ago) to extend the collection with two more CD’s. These are their second and third album respectively. I’ve just listened through them a couple of times briefly, but I REALLY like it! It’s a tad more aggressive yet polished than “Spit”, but damn I like it. These are some bad ass ladies, that’s for sure.

I kinda feel that I’m changing directions in musical interests, or perhaps I’m just extending it. I’m not sure which it is – but I never thought I’d listen to bands like Kittie, Butcher Babies or SlipKnot a year ago. I’m not sure if this is good or bad. Good for my heart and mind and soul, but bad for my wallet, haha! Good thing I work pretty much all the time.

// Sara

Today is the day people! Olly Murs third album is finally hitting the shelves, and I’ve finally got it here! Ok, technically it came yesterday, but I had some other things to talk about. What am I even going to say guys, I’ve waited for this album so long I mean, sure, it wasn’t longer than I waited for the stupid fanbox, but long enough since I pre-ordered it… a while ago.

First of all, the cover of the album is similar to Sabaton’s most recent albums. A book. I was quite surprised to find that he’d make a book, but you know, why not!

Well, what can I say about the album? It’s very Olly. A good mixture of both previous albums elevated to the next level, essentially. Tons of feel good songs such as “Did you Miss me?”, “Up” and the single “Wrapped Up”, the more big epic love song such as “Beautiful To Me”, the more serene slower songs such as “Nothing without You”. Light, cheerful melodies cut off with some deeper and slower ones. The songs are well arranged and the writing is just perfect. This is pretty much everything I’d ever expect in an Olly record.

God, I love this album. But then again, I love all of Olly’s albums, interestingly enough. This will be blasted  A LOT here at home. This was well worth the wait.

// Sara

So, most of you people reading my blog knows what a sucker I am for 80’s hair metal music. It should come to no surprise for either of you that this one, Danger Danger’s “Danger Danger” released back in 1989 is one of my favorite records to date.

I’m not even sure where to start with this album. I just love everything about it. It’s a fine mixture between smooth melodies such as “Don’t Walk Away” or “Feels Like Love” together with songs with big choruses “Bang Bang” and “Rock America” and more bold songs as “Naughty Naughty” and “Saturday Nite”. And how can we forget about “Under The Gun”. Keyboard-override, melodyline that sticks to your brain and memorable lyrics. I guess we can say that the song selection is pretty fine for this one. The musicians are flawless – the execution of the songs are perfect, arrangements, can’t say much about them and Ted Poley is absolutely killing it with the vocals.

If you want some high quality 80’s hair metal, this is the album you can NEVER EVER forget in your collection. I’m not sure if this band ever got the recognition they deserve, but they still remain big favorites among the fans, that’s for sure.

CDON | Amazon | Ginza

// Sara

So, a few days ago I was challenged by one of my friends to write a list about my top ten favorite bands, which I somewhat transformed into a ten most influential bands instead. Maybe I’ll take the list and put it up here and write a little bit more about every band… Anyway. One of the bands that are natural on the list is Wig Wam, which brought this album to my mind.

“Non-Stop Rock n Roll“, released in 2010 and is Wig Wam’s third full-lenght album.

I always used to say that whenever Wig Wam makes an album, they basically do a remix of themselves. Like, the original was “667 – The Neighbour of the Beast” / ” Hard to be a Rock n Roller” (these two are essentially the same record, the later one having an addition of ‘In My Dreams’). When they released “Wig Wamania” in 2006 it was basically the same album – but improved.  You can easily see it – “Mine All Mine” turned into “A Rock n Roll Girl Like You” and “Tell me Where To Go” turned into “At The End of The Day”, “Car-Lyle turned into “Dare-Devil Heat” and so on. Look yourselves, and you’ll see it.

However, with this in mind, I had pretty  high expectations when they said they’d enter the studio. I expected it to be Wig Wamania taken to the next level, if it was even possible?

And it was. By many, many miles. It succeeded all my expectations, and I consider it being a bit of an underrated album. It has this in your face and bombastic opening in “Do Ya Wanna Taste It” moving onto the more heavier “Walls Come Down”, and then into the more partylike “Wild One” and “C’mon Everybody”.

To top it off even better, they got Flash (bass) and Teeny (guitarr) sing a song each. Flash had already during the Wig Wamania era been given his own song, “Flying High” so I was expected to hear him again, which we did in “Chasing Rainbows”. Teeny, on the other hand, was quite a surprise. He sings on “Still I’m Burning” and not only does it sound good, it’s one of the best track so on the whole album.

But – I wanna shed some extra light on two other songs. The two songs, that in my opinion, is the best on the whole album. “Man in the Moon” (compare to Bygone Zone & Out of Time) and “Rocking Through My Heart” (compare to A Rock n Roll Girl Like You & Mine all Mine).  I’ve always been weak for the Mine All Mine / Rock n Roll Girl duo, so it’s no surprise to me that my favorite of the record would be “Rocket”. Man in the Moon on the other hand… The lyrics are absolutely beautiful, but what captures me the most about this song is the whole package, the arrangement. The soft, serene song together with these lyrics… this is one of the songs I can listen to on repeat without any difficulties.

So yes. This album, I want to warmly recommend, as long as you’re into 80’s kind of hairmetal. This is the best work of these men, and there isn’t a song on this album I don’t like listening to. And that’s what marks a good album, people.

Oh wow, this is fun.. It appears this CD is no longer in the making, so the only place to get it is at Amazon right here.

// Sara