Welcome back to Thrak Attack! What's your adventure? This month took us to Appalachia (twice), New York City (twice) Ancient China, the Mushroom Kingdom, and many a skatepark! It's been a long month but a successful month as well and I am happy to give you this month's Top 10 adventures!
10. "Medium Rarities" by Mastadon
This album was interesting in theory but had no substance to back it up. As opposed to another album on this list, the inclusion of many instrumentals took you out of the experience of the album and made it feel like an incomplete collection of music. "Jaguar God" and "Asleep in the Deep" are the stand out tracks here.
9. "Yellow Coat" by Matt Costa
This album was a light filler in the quiet parts of my month but never became more than that. I kept expecting to have the songs seep into my brain and become easy listening and catchy tunes but that never happened. It was disappointing to me knowing it could have been so much more of an album than what it was. I hope other people found joy in this album because I felt bored listening to it. "Yellow Coat" and "When the Avalanche Comes" are the standout tracks here.
8. "Long Violent History" by Tyler Childers
Tyler Childers grew up in Kentucky right across the river from Marshall University. I went to Marshall around the same time Tyler was beginning his music career. Though our paths never crossed, his band and I did as we played in the Marshall University Jazz Bands together. Tyler's newest album is a collection of bluegrass tunes featuring his violin skills. The final song was a full band title track reminding people about our countries past. This album does not stand out, but after you watch Tyler's release video you understand the meaning and purpose of the album.
7. Marvel's Avengers
This game is a masterclass in storytelling that should be fleshed out into a 25 hour story. The DLC characters should have been 5 hour stories each explaining what the character was up to during the time of the main story. Instead it was a 10 hour storyline (which was great) with a post game grind of raiding AIM facilities to upgrade your gear (which doesn't feel like an upgrade at all). This game is a shell of what it could have been and is fantastic! Until you finish the story...
6. Mulan
Mulan was supposed to release in the spring, and then the summer, and finally coming to Disney+ for premier access. It is not a remake but rather a reimagining of the original story. If you come into this story expecting your favorite songs and a talking dragon you are going to be disappointed. If you expect this movie to be something fresh and knew you are going to have fun time. Regardless, recent news has come to light that proves that this film should not have been filmed and was doomed to fail. Maybe Disney will get the picture and actually produce new stories instead of using old ideas.
5. Super Mario 3D All Stars
This collection of games includes (as IGN accurately put it) "A historic relic, an experiment, and an actually good game". Now I agree with all of these statements and have previously played these games on their original platforms, here's what I have to say about each one. Super Mario 64 was my first console game and defined 3D platforming games, perfecting it on the first try. Super Mario Sunshine has great ideas with horrible mechanics that makes it nearly impossible to successfully play. Super Mario Galaxy is the true successor to 64 creating new physics in the game and elevating the platforming genre.
4. "Zero's" by Declan McKenna
This kid is fantastic and his songwriting chops are mighty! Unfortunately this album falls short of the top 3 due to the poor producing. His songs are so precise and clean the production of the album is too big and spacey. I understand space is the theme of the album but it really does a disservice to his writing style. Some of the standout tracks are "Twice Your Size", "Be An Astronaut", and "The Key To Life On Earth"
3. "When You Get That Feeling" ft. Fabian Barona by Nate Bo
My good buddy Nate, also a Marshall University alumni, released his first single at the beginning of the month. The single features Fabian Barona on vocals and Nate on drums and vibes. Speaking of vibes, this song has plenty of good ones! From the tasty groove to the catchy chorus to the wicked vibe solo from Nate, this song is a bop all around! If you haven't heard it yet I would highly recommend it!
2. The Devil All the Time
A Netflix original film starring some Hollywood heavy hitters such as Tom Holland, Bill Skarsgard, Robert Pattinson, Sebastian Stan, and Eliza Scanlen. This dark drama is set in the heart of Appalachia jumping from Ohio to West Virginia. With dark religious themes this movie does a great job making you feel the suspense and always keeps you on your toes!
1. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2
The top of the list includes another collections of games from 1999 and 2000! This is how you craft a remaster! The feel of this game is the same as the original keeping the original controls as an option but creating ones more conducive to modern controllers. The soundtrack and the satisfaction of a great run are the true stars here. The soundtrack is untouched from the first two games taking me back to my parents basement and the N64 and the satisfaction of getting the sick score is the drive that keeps me coming back to more! It's fun, challenging, and satisfying to play and will be a game I can always come back to!
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