Muse The 2nd Law Album Review

Oh god, where do I even begin? I know the album has been out for a while now but I gave it a good listen a few weeks ago and I think I fell in love with Muse all over again. Let me point out that this album cannot be heard as it should be through your low quality laptop speakers or stereo, you have to really listen (I used my Beats headphones and it made all the difference). I have to say that when the trailer for The 2nd Law was released and I heard dubstep I thought: MUSE HAS GONE DUBSTEP TOO?! (But I was still ecstatic about the album nonetheless.) And I saw how the fans went rabid on the comment section on YouTube.

It's very clear that Muse can be quite versatile in they way they write and present their music; it can be heard clearly on this album. While a few music critics believe that Muse have not done their absolute best on this album, I beg to differ.  Also, the album was amazingly produced. Influences like Led Zeppelin, Queen and David Bowie are clearly heard throughout the album, something that many other artists rarely show on their records.

Muse dived into the world of dubstep in this album, not only did they incorporate the genre into their music but they included elements of it in some of their songs, you can clearly hear the bass guitar in songs such as Panic Station, mixed with a little bit of funk as well.

In a song like Supermacy, you kind of get a James Bond vibe with the incorporated orchestra instruments. At first, you hear a guitar riff and you think ah Muse is playing guitar, yay but then this orchestra kicks in and you're like oh..wait..this is...Muse?! 

Then you have a track like Liquid State, sung and written by Muse's own bassist  Wolstenholme. His voice is deep and you get a feel of the old Muse. The only complaint I have about this song is that it abruptly comes to an end after 3 staggering minutes. 

The Second Law: Unsustainable is when the magic happens. Even though I'm not a dubstep enthusiast (makes my ears bleed actually) I'm just captivated by this track. The reason I highly applaud this is because everything you hear in this song is generated by the band and not by a computer program (sorry Skrillex). Just add some electric guitars, an orchestra and a choir and you have yourself a kick-ass Muse track! 

I don't think I even need to say anything about Survival, the track for the Olympics. Bellamy did an exceptional job with the lyrics and you feel like you're hearing the words going through an athlete's mind. 

Follow Me is a more mellow sounding song, Bellamy is singing to his newborn son. The song is very sweet and you feel like as if Bellamy is directly singing to his newborn. 

I want to leave you to listen to the rest of the album and so I won't go into the rest of the tracks, listen to it yourself and be the judge. This album is just a masterpiece and listening to it once is not enough to appreciate every little detail throughout the album. You can tell from this album that Muse has greatly developed as a band. Bellamy can write music for anything and it will still be amazing. This album may not sound like typical Muse but they're trying something new but like I mentioned before, the album is wonderfully produced and composed. Another astounding album by Muse. 

Viral Videos: PonPonPon

Alright, I just discovered this Japanese MV and holy crap! I haven't seen something this random since...ever! I know it's been out for a long time..how on earth did I miss this?!

Take a look at this. 

So the artist is 19 year old Takemura Kiriko who is known by her stage name Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. She started out as fashion blogger and modeled for many famous fashion magazines in Japan.  In 2011, PonPonPon was her first promo single and as you can see, it became a viral video. 

There are even tons of covers by Vocaloid characters like Miku and Len and many other fictional characters.

This is my favorite cover! :3 This version is by Dirk Strider and yes he is a fictional non existent character, sounds good yes? :D Yay for guilty pleasures!

I know that the song sounds pretty annoying but I don't know, I just keep listening to it over and over, it's so addictive! Argh, I don't know why I'm liking this so much! xD 

The Best Android Photo Apps

So there are tons of articles out there claiming that these are the best 15 or 20 Android photo applications. But when I went through them, most of the applications just are not what I'm searching for and minimal features. So I decided to write about my own favorite photo apps and what features are in each one.

So these are the photo apps that I use. And yes, that is my husband and I on our wedding day. :)

I guess Instagram doesn't need much of an introduction since it's one the mostly used applications right now by both Android and iOS users. But if you just got a new iPhone or Samsung phone and were wondering about this app I'm going to explain it anyway.

Instagram basically edits already existing photos that you have on your phone or you can take a photo within the application itself and then you edit it. You can can choose from a range of filters to spice up your pictures a little and you can either choose to include that filter's border or not. 

Even though Instagram is the most popular application right now, I don't always use it for editing as features are very limited (only filters and borders) and you can't even mix and match the filters and borders; each filter has its border and that's that. So I use Instagram mainly for sharing my photos. You can't adjust contrast or colors or sharpen or blur and among a lot of other things. But the filters are actually pretty nice. 

Next application which I love is Photo Wonder! I almost always use this app since it has many features and you can download extra material as well.

As you can see, you can already pick a picture you have in your own gallery then edit it or create a collage or you can use the camera within the app but you also choose the filter at the same time so you already know what the photo will look like before even snapping the photo! Very handy, right? :D 

Not to mention there  are tons of stuff you can do to edit your photos since you have a lot of options. The filters are very nice and lots of stickers and borders to choose from!

 

There's also a beautifying option where you can get smooth looking skin and you even tap those pesky zits away.  The decorations are also very cute and there's quite a lot of them. 

 

Photogrid basically allows you to make collage photos. You can actually choose one photo as well and just add a funky looking frame.

This app is also one of my favorites! Camera 360 is full of filters but that's pretty much it, you only get to choose filters; this app doesn't have any stickers or borders but the filters are very nice. 

 

Like PhotoWonder, Camera 360 lets you take photos within the application and also lets you use the filter camera. This feature has been spreading lately and most photography applications now have it. 

Now the only problem with this application is that you can only choose from its own gallery or your camera gallery and that's it. But the filters are really nice and there's quite a bunch to choose from.  

There's even a magic skin filter that will make your skin really smooth and there are options to choose from. You can have a glossy finish to your skin or maybe you want it to be black and white. :D However, you can't change the opacity. 

I don't even use Frame Magic so I don't why it's even there haha! I'll probably delete it later but if you want to try it out anyway, go ahead. This application lets you add borders (as I'm sure you can tell from its name xD) and it has some filters which I didn't like at all so that's probably why I'm going to delete it. Not to mention it forces you to crop your photos like Instagram.

Next app is Cymera I have to say that the name is very clever even though I don't see how it's relevant to the application lol. Anyway, so I just installed Cymera on my phone a few days ago and I'm still trying it out but it seems to be like a good app.

 Cymera is actually very similar to PhotoWonder as it lets you take photos withing the application, has a beautifying option,  and lets you add filters, decorations and borders.

There's a wide range of filters and they're quite lovely.

I think it's very obvious what Pic Collage does haha! You must know though, that this application is not like Photo Shake or Photo Grid. This application makes actual collages and you even email them to a friend or that special someone. ;)

As you can see, using the application could not be easier. 

So I made a little collage of me and my husband and I think it looks pretty good. :D

 It's very easy to use and you can also edit the background of your collage! Pretty cool huh? 

Aviary is another good photo application around. Aviary gets you a little a slideshow to choose a photo for you to edit. The slideshow shows all of the pictures you have on your phone and it has them in chronological order from newest to oldest. And to make matters simpler and easier for you, you can just pick a picture from your phone's regular gallery. 

 

There are a few free filters and stickers and you can choose to buy more and these are not the only features, you can adjust the brightness, contrast, and you can even turn your picture into a meme and draw on your picture. :D Not only that but you can add text as well as hide blemishes. So you have a lot features in this app.

Photoshake is pretty much the same as PhotoGrid but I prefer the latter.

I saved the best application for last and that's Pixlr Express!  This is like a newer more efficient version of Pixlr-o-matic. This is my ultimate favorite app for editing my photos! It has dozens of filters, borders and overlays for you to choose from. 

 

You have some adjustment options and you can actually change the opacity of many  of them and the radius, just as you would do in Photoshop. 

 

The filters are categorized as you can see and you can mark the ones you like as your favorite instead of going through all the filters each time to look for the ones you frequently used.  Very practical. :D The only downside is that this application doesn't have a 'magic skin' or beautifying option for your portrait photos so you can just use one of the other applications.

And that's it!

These are my personal favorite photo editing applications for Android. I think that alomost all of these applications are available for iOS (I know Instagram is). Hope this article was somewhat helpful and informative for you. :)

 

DmC: Devil May Cry Demo Review

Hey, not just because I tuned my blog into a totally girly cute one doesn't mean I've changed what I like, I'm still a gamer! Alright, let's get on with it. So the DmC demo was released recently and I've been waiting for this since the trailer came out and to put this quite frankly, I didn't know what to expect as a die hard Devil May Cry fan. I thought that either it will really suck or be really epic. The one thing I did like when I saw the trailer that it was kinda like a pre prequel (if there's such a thing xD) since from what I understood back then that this was even before Devil May Cry 3.

I still don't how the game goes concerning the story line, but I think it will be quite interesting since we can know a little bit about Dante and Vergil's parents and their family history. 

Now, as a die hard fan, I'm pretty sure this game made other fans really agitated since it almost completely drifted away from the old games. But personally, I think it's a good thing that Capcom and Ninja Theory took this risk, no game will ever develop if they stick what they know. Games become redundant and boring. 


Onto the review!! 

To be honest, I have not read any other reviews concerning this demo so I'm going to be completely unbiased (at least I'll try, I mean I am a DMC fan. Not to mention I'm pretty easy to please lol.) Okay, so I just finished playing the demo and I actually quite enjoyed it. The controls are a bit tricky since they changed from the previous DMC games but you get used to them.  There are a lot of new moves and combos that did not exist in the old series and response time is tremendously faster as well, making it easier to evade attacks and attack enemies even faster. Of course, some of the old moves are still there and you get a nostalgic feeling as you perform some of them.

The demo is split into two parts, the first being you going through what seems to be an ordinary mission and the next you battle with an utterly gross boss. With the new weapons provided, combat is a lot of fun.



Graphics wise, I have to say that this is the best in the series. The graphics in game play mode are as good as DMC 4 if not better. Of course, I haven't seen any cut scenes yet and so I don't know if they're CGI'd.  The normal cut scenes, however, were very well made and everything looked nice and smooth. Everything has a sharp feel to it and a lot of contrast, and the colors are nice and bright. 

The demons in this game are seriously a piece of work. They are extremely creepy!! When I first started fighting them and a demon gets a nice old close up, I'd just be like 'Ewww! What the fuck is that supposed to be?' With demons that look like dug up dead babies with wings, you start to wonder. So yeah new demons are creepier than all the old games but it's fun, I mean, demons are not supposed to be funny looking, right?

A lot of fans do not like Dante's 'new look' and frankly, I didn't either at first, felt a bit emo compared to how he originally looks. However, the developers said they changed his look to appeal to a younger demographic (I seriously don't understand how they can accomplish that through this since a lot of fans are pretty young and the fact that this is the first time a DMC game has this much cussing so I don't know what they're trying to teach little kids here) and to be more realistic (another thing I do not get, this is a game where you kill demons, where is the reality in that?). His look doesn't irritate me as it used to at first, my eyes got comfortable after a while and I'm very happy that they decided to quit his smoking habit, it just was not like him and I don't think in order for them to carry out a reboot is that they should give Dante a personality makeover. What just eats away at me is that he has dark hair now, they could have at least kept that. But maybe it'll turn silver as you play along since he already has a silver patch at the back of his head. And perhaps as you play you get to see more and more of the older Dante who we know and love.

I just hope that because Devil May Cry was originally created and designed in Japan, they would not try to Americanize this game, otherwise it will lose what makes it so unique than the other games, what makes it Devil May Cry. 

This new DMC game is a lot more challenging than its counterparts (to me at least) and it is a great bunch of fun to play. By what I saw in the demo I can say that the game will most definitely not be boring and I'm really looking forward to buying it and playing the full game to see the plot unfold. And you can also tell that a lot of effort was put into developing this game so I don't think we will be dissapointed.

If you have played the demo too, let me know what you think in the comments below. 

 

Metal Is Coming!

So I've recently stumbled upon this great artist on YouTube who goes by the name of Erock. And I have to say, I haven't seen raw talent like this in a really long time! I'm gonna leave you to judge for yourself. Go to his channel here for more epicness. 

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Movie Review

So today I finally got to see Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter after seeing a very tempting and exciting trailer. The movie is based on the novel of the same name written by Seth Grahame-Smith. There are, of course, noticeable differences between the book and movie but I believe having these differences adds to the excitement of unpredictability. 

The movie follows the story of a young Abraham Lincoln and how he first comes into contact with vampires. He then starts leading a double life where at night, he has a secret identity as a vampire hunter, trained by a very calm mysterious man named Henry Sturges (Dominic Cooper). Throughout the movie, you can hear Lincoln narrate parts of his diary. 

Author Seth Grahame-Smith was hired to write the movie's script and the movie was produced by Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov and Jim Lemly. 

Benjamin Walker portrayed the 16th President of The United States and I have to say he did quite an excellent job. Although you might feel that Walker does not really resemble the late president physically but you do feel as if you are watching the true Abraham Lincoln speak to the citizens of The United States. You might think you are seeing some familiar faces as well and that is because you are, you'll find Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) and Dominic Cooper (Captain America: The First Avenger). All the actors did their roles beautifully, there were no bad performances. 

The movie felt like a breath of fresh air; with so many vampire movies being released, it's very overwhelming and you just find yourself bored with the lot of it. A president killing vampires? I could not believe it at first but when I saw the trailer I just felt a rush of excitement. It was a very exciting different side to Abraham Lincoln. However, it's one of those movies not to be taken too seriously, its sole purpose is to entertain and entertained I was. Not to mention it's historically accurate as well, a great treat for history buffs. 

Although it gives off an action-y movie feel, the fighting scenes were not that many but very well executed nonetheless. There's a lot of slashing, blood and gore which I loved and I think any gore lover will. The 3D lets you truly experience all the blood and explosions and made it even more enjoyable.

The script could have been better but it doesn't bother you that much, at least I wasn't since I never got to read the book.  Most of the movie was created by special effects and they looked quite admirable but I would have preferred if some real locations were used. However, you must keep in mind that some parts of the story might not seem plausible or real like the horse stampede scene, but you know it's a vampire movie so you just think "Oh what the hell, it's awesome anyway".

All in all, it's a great fun movie to go see if you love vampires and gore but not so much if you want something realistic, I don't think it was meant to be that way. I would give it a 7/10 for making me enjoy every minute of the movie and not letting me get bored. It was a great change from typical vampire movies and that's what made me really like it, it could have been better but it did not disappoint me. 

How would YOU react to cyber bullying?

To be honest, I never thought about what would happen to me if I was ever cyber bullied. Maybe it's because I never gave anyone the chance to do so. I always read different and sometimes horrifying stories of countless victims of cyber bullying. The stories are heart breaking. When you read that young kids actually commit suicide because of something like that, when you see that a 15 year old girl threw herself in front of a fucking bus just to escape the horror of it all, it just makes you wonder: what have people become?

Are people so desperate to feel empowered and superior that they have to make someone's life a living hell? Are they insecure? Were they bully victims themselves? You might find yourself asking even more questions such as those but the saddening truth is that sometimes you may never know the answer. To my utter astonishment and disgust, it occurred to me that some people actually enjoy torturing someone on the internet. Maybe it's the fact that they think they're never going to get caught. However, I still fail at seeing the whole point of this. So I make a cruel joke or be mean to someone online, what have I gained? I'm not even there to "enjoy" their suffering. 

To me, cyber bullying is even more serious than the regular big bad school bully. Because yes, that person may never get caught and the fact that the internet is a totally free entity that cannot be controlled, so basically there's nothing you can do.  I mean there is but it's not like you can completely stop it. People always tell bully victims to ignore bullies or go talk to someone about it, which they don't since they feel like they're ratting someone out. At this point, I personally wouldn't give two shits if I rat someone out; you give me hell, I'll give you hell times a hundred regardless of how I do so!

So recently, a very famous blogger, Xiaxue, got trashed on Facebook (along with 2 of her friends) for being PAP supporters (a political party in Singapore). They were called the most horrid names and it just sickened me as I read her post. Men were calling them sluts, whores, prostitutes among other things, even though one of her friends isn't even a PAP supporter. Now being a well known blogger on the internet for years breeds haters (doesn't everything?) and Xiaxue  has a lot of them and she rarely even gives it thought. However, she decided she had enough and decided to stand up and defend herself and her friends. 

Xiaxue made a post listing the men with the most, you might say, provocative comments along with their photos which some included family members and/or their children. Let me just point out that the photos she listed were not acquired in any sly manner such as hacking or anything of the sort but the photos' privacy settings were simply set to public so anyone could seem them. She even censored some the faces appearing with the men in the photos. After each photo she would respond to what was commented. (You can see both posts here and here.)

You may not agree with the way she responded to those bullies but let's be honest, it should be expected that some of the bully victims would retaliate, it's like a ticking time bomb. If bullies think that their victims are just helpless fish in a barrel, one of these fish tends be a shark and will snap back. And that's what happened with Xiaxue, not only was she insulted but her own family and husband as well. As she put it, it's one thing if bullies mess with her but it's another if someone insults her family and I think all of us would agree at this point. 

Imagine this little scenario, even if bullies don't affect you and you just don't care but what if your girlfriend/wife/sister/daughter was getting bullied, you wouldn't just sit there now, would you? No one likes having one of his loved ones being trampled on. I don't know if I would do what Xiaxue did but I do know that I would've taken action and not just sit there idly.

On Fairy Tail

I haven't watched anime in a really long time and maybe it's just that I got bored of everything. After Gintama was done, I felt like there was an emptiness which I didn't know how was going to be filled (sad but true). Then I remembered that a couple of years ago, I started watching Fairy Tail but only got to the 14th episode or so. And so, I decided to watch it again from the very beginning to remember all past events and I'm glad that I did. Not only have I discovered that I pretty much forgot everything that has happened but also that there's something different about it this time.

It has been argued that Fairy Tail is pretty much about nothing except the main characters powering up or whatever but I beg to differ. I don't want to to ruin it for anyone who is currently watching or planning to watch it but there is a point to the anime. However, even if there wasn't any point to it, I would still watch and recommend it. The Japanese culture is very family oriented and establishing good relationships with everyone around you is of vital importance and that's exactly what anime tries to get across, stressing on values such as the importance of family and friends, and to always be in search of your dreams and never give up. Things such as this make anime worth watching even if there is no specific goal for it. 

From left to right: Natsu, Gray, Erza and Lucy.

As for Fairy Tail, I have to admit that I haven't watched anything this exciting since Gintama stopped airing. For you who don't know what Fairy Tail is about, the story takes place in the kingdom of Fiore where magic is a common practice. Seventeen year old Lucy runs away from home to join the rambunctious wizard's guild Fairy Tail and happens to run into one of the guild's members, Natsu.

The first season doesn't seem to be all that interesting regarding the story line and the animation is average, but as the story progresses, both the animation and story get better and the anime gets closer to the manga. However, I got hooked from the first arc and the fillers are actually worth watching (I watched all 134 episodes so far in a week). I find myself getting really into it emotionally and I feel all the suspense in all the serious moments of the anime. 

I happen to like the soundtrack from the very start and although some themes are common and get replayed in different versions, they're still as enjoyable to listen to. The sad scores are used very well, in the right moments and it adds a lot of more emotion to sad scenes that just make you feel like tearing up (I cried a few times). To me, the soundtrack makes or breaks the series. 

What I really like about this anime is the characters; they're all very well thought out and they have very unique personalities that make it hard to choose a favorite. Each character has his/her own quirkiness with a funny/known catch phrase and comedic antics. Also, you don't feel like one character is hogging the whole show but a number of characters get good screen time. The bonds of trust and friendship between characters is highly commendable and it just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. 

All in all, it's a spectacular anime with a lot of laughs, tears and suspense and I definitely do recommend it to all anime fans.