Unfortunately, OPM is not a band I think I will find myself visiting all that often. At first, I found myself grooving to the Sublime-lite sounds that emanated from my speakers. The first few times through the list, I was convinced that this was going to be an enjoyable groove thing. All the necessary elements are in place, smooth ska sounds, bass and drum groove, easy flowing vocals, everything was in place for a good time. Then the reality sunk in, I listened to California Poppy.
As I listened to the disk, I found myself becoming bored. That's it, this CD bores me. The sounds come across as uninspired, just going through the motions, if you will. Their sound culls influences from acts such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the previously mentioned Sublime. They blend reggae and ska, with a healthy does of pop. Perhaps too much of the pop, everything plays towards the middle, there is no adventure to the sound. The beat stays stagnant through the disk, with most of the cuts falling within the same pattern. Then on top of that, the lyrics are downright silly at times, particularly for the final track, "Born Again Virgin."
To be fair, it isn't awful, nor are they bad musicians, I just find the music here to be to the dull side. For background music at a party, or doing work around the house, or even just rolling in your ride, this could fit the bill nicely. Just don't expect anything classic out of this. Put it on, zone out, smoke up, whatever, and just feel the beat.
Bottomline. Laid back grooves, smooth vocals all in an agreeable combination. OPM delivers a workman-like collection of reggae/ska/pop tunes that, while inoffensive, fail to excite. Perhaps I should check out their prior release, Menace to Sobriety, I have heard good things about it.
Not Recommended.
The Black Sea is an ambitious album that has songs that incorporate a number of elements into one bands sound. There are straight up rockers, slower soft tracks, some pop rock, and some metal. The album slowly grew on me. The first few time through, I thought it was good, but not particularly special, but the more I listened to it, the more it opened up for me.
The pre-release version of the disk I have to review starts off with two versions of the lead track, "Flesh Storm." Which version of the song will appear on the release disk, I am not sure, but I prefer the version labeled "Alt. Vocal." The difference is slight, the alternate version has Tom Araya singing a little throatier, as opposed to a higher scream on the other version. In either case it is proof of the aggression about to be unleashed. And, if you didn't already know that you had slipped in a Slayer disk, the initial screaming lead from Jeff Hanneman should be enough to tip you off.
Bury Your Dead does bring something unique to the table, both of their albums have had a song related gimmick. Their major label debut, Cover Your Tracks, features song titles that are all Tom Cruise films, such as "Vanilla Sky," "Risky Business," and "Mission: Impossible." This time around the songs are all fairy tale related, like "The Poison Apple" and "Trail of Crumbs," not to mention the album title, itself.
Destroy What You Enjoy picks up right where Transform left off. It marks the first time they have had consecutive releases with the same style. I'm not sure if that is any real comment on the band or not, but perhaps they found their niche. I did get to hear a few of these new tracks live a few months back when their tour made a stop in my town. I remember "Destroy What You Enjoy," "Heroes and Villains," and "Now That's Rock 'N Roll" being played, and sounding pretty good.
The album closes out with a pair of unlikely tracks. First up is the country tinged "Miss America," a fun groove cut. The final song is a live rendition of "Heroes and Villains" which displays the high energy, and heavier vibe that exists in their live show.
This time the story revolves around Captain Jack's debt to Davy Jones, the captain of the Flying Dutchman. At some point in the past, Sparrow made a deal with Jones to captain the Black Pearl, but that deal has run out and it is time to settle the debt. Of course, Jack doesn't want that to happen, and the hunt for the chest of the title is on.
The first half of the movie contains a lot of exposition. Most of the story is being set up here as the players are all moved into position. Will and Elizabeth are split up for much of this time as they each take they own way in reuniting with Jack. The former Commodore Norrington is also brought back into the picture as he attempts to regain his position. Not to be left out is the comical duo of Pintel and Ragetti, injecting themselves into the story and proving to be pretty handy with the sword.
Aside from the story, there is some great action. There is a bar room fight which is energetic, and fun, watch as Jack goes through the fight looking for a new hat. There is also an extended sequence where the good captain is about to be cooked for a cannibalistic feast. This is split between two locations, first is Jack trying to get off the spit and avoid all of the hungry natives, the other has Will and the crew of the Black Pearl hanging in ball shaped cages and their route of escape. Sure, it doesn't have much to do with the plot at large, but it is a highly entertaining sequence, especially Jack's race with the pole still strapped to his back.
The effects are the best of the year, with Davy Jones taking his place among the greatest CG characters ever to grace the silver screen. I could not believe it when I discovered that he was completely CG. When I saw the film a second time, I kept looking at Jones' eyes, and they were completely convincing. Beyond Jones, his crew are beautifully realized in all their decaying glory. ILM truly outdid themselves.
Lucas Nickle (Zach Tyler) is a small boy who gets picked on by the neighborhood bully. These increasingly frequent attacks are frustrating Lucas, or Peanut to his mother. He is becoming more and more bitter, lashing out at his mother or whoever else happens to get in his way, including the ants. His front yard is the home of a large ant colony, which is frequently attacked by Lucas. The ants are also becoming frustrated by who they call The Destroyer.
quite dynamic, watching the ants flee as there homes were destroyed. Beyond that, there is a great battle when the colony is attacked by a hoarde of wasps, and later when the insects all work together to take on exterminator (Paul Giamatti). Overall, the animation may not be Pixar level, but they did a nice job at geting detail into the film, and the final film looks quite good.