Music To Frag To! – June, 2010

(From Digital Gaudium)

This series of monthly features will talk about select songs on the latest albums from extreme music based bands (death metal, hardcore punk, powerviolence, etc.) which you should listen to when getting the nuke or capturing a flag.

Sometimes when I play games like “Call of Duty” or “Halo,” I get a bit irritated of those moments of silence. It became an annoyance when I played the “Lost Planet 2″ multiplayer demo where distant sounds sounded too far and near proximity effects fade too quickly. I put on some fast grindcore which in result turned out excellent. The immediate assaulting songs worked in context of the game and would work in others too.

For this month I will showcase music from the first half of 2010. For the coming months, it will regularly be based on releases during a particular month while I might do some special entries on occasion.

NOTICE: Music on this edition will be removed by next feature of this series. Labels, if you request a track removal during this period, contact staff@digitalgaudium.com and we will happily remove the file.

1. Kverlertak - 'Mjød' (self-titled)
In extreme music, Norway is the capital of its significant black metal scene. Murders, church burning and even a bizarre suicide situation. The ideology is dangerous but the music is intense and mysterious.

The atmospheric energy from the sound is blended with Kvelertak's love for party time rock and roll. Sort of like a mix of Turbonegro, Emperor and Refused. Their latest album is perfect for those casual play sessions with friends where good clean fun is more important than winning. Kvelertak's self-title album is currently streaming here.

2. Celeste - 'Ces belles de rêve aux verres embués' ("Morte(s) Nee(s)")
Most of the time I hear people put their microphones near their music speakers on Xbox Live; it's pretty much badly done hip-hop music with the bass frequency of the beat pattern repeatedly coming on. French quartet Celeste also focuses on constant rapid repetition but for their case it works.

Hypnotizing black metal-like guitars and bass fill the left and right channels, drums stays and a pummeling rhythm, and vocals contribute to the chaotic approach. The production is intentionally overpowered to match the constant bombastic and bludgeoning terror the album encompasses. Would sound great for the upcoming "Splatterhouse" reimagining. An intensely violent game with intensely violent music; there will be blood. The album along with their previous two is officially available for free here.

3. Extortion - 'Regrets' ("Loose Screws")
FAST! FASTER!! FASTEST!!! High speed intensity represents this powerviolence band from Perth, Australia. It's immature and punk but that's the point. They play it very straightforward in every release they had. Great for those tactical knife sprinting runs on Modern Warfare 2.







4. Ceremony - 'Sick' ("Rohnert Park")
Ceremony is too after two album of fastness. Rohnert Part takes it back to the early 1980s where bands like Black Flag and Bad Brains were emerging from their own scenes. The song "Sick" best represents that feeling.

Staying on a pacing tempo, Ceremony vocalist Ross Farrar goes all out nihilistic about hating everything. If you have that same mood and won't care if you are playing adversarial or team modes, you hate everyone and it's time to kill them (in game of course).



5. Trash Talk - Tracks 1-3 and 5-10 ("Eyes & Nines")
Removing the fourth slow track 'Hash Wednesday,' Eyes & Nines from this Sacramento, California quartet is just about 12 minutes long. But hell those 12 minutes go out fast like a bullet. A big player count Halo match should be enough for these nine songs. The minutes will be blissful chaos during melee combat and constant ballistic urgency.






6. Integrity - 'Learn To Love The Lie' ("The Blackest Curse")
Cleavland, Ohio metalcore masters debuts a full length (ever since 2001) with more "Holy Terror."

Remember when Slayer's 'Angel of Death' was in almost every skateboarding game? Even a great thrash song can get tiring. If there was an alternative, I will take this song or others from Integrity's The Blackest Curse." They match the rage that Slayer perfected in "Reign In Blood" and makes it more in key with hardcore punk. It's still angry.



7. "This Comp Kills Fascists Vol. 2"
It's 74 tracks of aural violence in one CD! The compilation soundtrack to utter chaos for any intense multiplayer game. Enough said. Here are two tracks from the massive grindhouse of sound. DON'T PRESS PAUSE.

Halo: Reach multiplayer beta (preview)

Originally posted on Digital Gaudium (May 8, 2010)

Bungie, developers of the acclaimed Halo video game series released a multiplayer testing build of their final franchise-based game “Halo: Reach” to the public with high anticipation before the retail release this fall.

Officially released on Monday, people who own a copy of “Halo 3: ODST” and have a membership to the Xbox Live, can download the beta. The download provides a small taste of the multiplayer mode that will be featured in the final build.

After a short introduction message from Bungie, players can pick one of the two modes available.

Matchmaking mode allows online players to combat one another in multiple playlists featuring game types common in Halo like “capture the flag” and the deathmatch-based “Slayer” while some new are introduced in Reach. “Headhunter” requires players to grab skulls from fallen enemies and deposit them at specific capture areas for points while “Stockpile” is a variant of capture the flag where teams must store neutral flags in their own bases.

Throughout the beta, Bungie will add more game types for players to play and test. “Generator Defense” has a small team of Spartans have to defend multiple machines from a rag-tag group of invading Elites. The other, “Invasion,” is the large scale mode featured in the beta where Elites must complete a set of objectives while going through Spartan defenses; this mode also has a Slayer only variant.

Introduced in “Halo 3,” “Theater” mode allows players to watch footage of their played games as well as take screenshots.

So far, the Halo: Reach beta looks, sounds and plays like any other Halo game but like the series’ previous incarnations, new features and other nuances makes this distinct from the others.

The most apparent addition is armor abilities where each player can pick one of the four provided. These abilities replace the equipment system in Halo 3 where it was one use as opposed to Reach being reusable. Each ability serve different purposes best for particular situations. Active camouflage increases the chances of assassinating enemies without being seen while the jetpack allows temporary air superiority against ground forces.

Weapons have gone towards another overhaul in Reach featuring new additions as well as removing some common in the series. Similar to the original Halo and Halo 3: ODST, dual-wielding is not featured in Reach. In return for balance, weapons like the magnum pistol have more power into it just in case if ammo for a primary weapon runs out; those single handed weapons serve as more of a sidearm.

The popular battle rifle has been removed as well for another called the DMR, short for Designated Marksman Rifle. Instead of a three-round burst, the DMR can only provide single shot fire generally preferred for mid to long range combat; making it closer to the battle rifle’s original envision during Halo 2. It’s not easy to handle though because the DMR along with almost every other weapon in Reach has accuracy and the faster each firearm is shot, the less accurate it will become. The DMR and many other new weapons are featured in Reach for all of us to play with.

Although Bungie wants everyone to enjoy this small bit of the beta, they want players to discover and report any issues or bugs; which in this phase is normally suited for private testing. Bungie is eager for every players’ opinion if such things as the focus rifle being overpowered or someone found a way to get under the battlefield ever occurs.

There are some particular issues in the beta but with over a million participants, all the feedback up until closing day on May 17, 2010 will allow Bungie to fine tune and help create the best possible experience in Halo: Reach when it comes out fall 2010.

The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis (review)

It's Mathcore Madness!

It has been more than a decade since the release of The Dillinger Escape Plan’s acclaimed 1999 progressive metalcore debut “Calculating Infinity.” The group continues with their latest release doing what they do best: providing catchy unpredictable aural assaults while trying to experiment with new sounds and styles.

The first track “Farewell, Mona Lisa” foreshadows what’s to become of the band’s longest album to date. The first part features their signature burst of chaos exemplified by guitarist Ben Weinman and newly recruited drummer Billy Rymer.

Almost two minutes in, the song displays an ebb and flow effect where vocalist Greg Puicato shines in his dynamic vocal range following a tremendous band-central climax.

Although not as apparent, it’s great to hear that their characteristic hypersonic and discordant style is not forgotten in this record.
“Good Neighbor” features many dissonant yet enticing guitar runs by Weinman while Rymer can hit multiple time signatures without error. It has a lot of energy which when translated live, can entice large scale moshes.

The instrumental capabilities of Weinman and Rymer are best heard in “Endless Endings.” The majority of the track sounded like a much harder version of experimental jazz band Naked City. Weinman’s fast solos and chords sound like an altered interpretation of many different cultures of music and Rymer does his best to the point that it’s reminiscent of former DEP drummer Chris Pennie.

Some select songs from previous albums “Miss Machine” and “Ire Works” featured DEP experimenting with a pop music approach in mind, much different from their heavier pieces. “Option Paralysis” takes what made those songs great and adds a fitting metal edge, which makes the overall sound more cohesive.

“Gold Teeth On A Bum” best displays their new approach. Taking notes from former collaborator Faith No More’s Mike Patton, Puicato uses various vocal styles throughout.

From whispering, to screeching and then to singing, Puicato knows which style is perfect for each section. The band aids him resulting in a more tenacious unit instead of one particular member standing out.

“Widower” is another great example of the band’s experimentation in the album. Enrolling pianist Mike Garson, the song evolves from being very isolating and later on deconstructing.

Although being the longest album compared to the others for the band with only three songs falling below three minutes, there are still intense songs that justify its length.

“Room Full Of Eyes” still sounds like DEP but halfway in is a very pummeling doom dirge where everybody can headbang to.

Each album sounds like a logical progression in which “Option Paralysis” follows what made best with their previous work. With four albums and multiple member changes, The Dillinger Escape Plan excels at what they do and always tries to tread new ground, while not compromising who they are.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (review)

Tactical Destruction Part 2

Although with the recent midst of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 dominating the first person shooter market, Battlefield developers DICE was working on the sequel to their 2007 console breakout Battlefield: Bad Company. Containing memorable characters, a unique style while pertaining to the series ethic of large scale vehicular combat, and fun multiplayer, a sequel should be anticipated. Now released it's indeed a hell of a good time.

Following a quick and surprising prologue, the player controls again soldier Preston Marlowe fighting with a rag-tag squad formerly of an Army's B-company (nicknamed Bad Company) After going rogue and escaping with mercenary gold from the previous Bad Company, it's implied that they eventually got caught. Impressed by the squad's activities, the military assigns them to a special operation involving a Russian terrorist and a mysterious weapon of catastrophic proportions. In return for succeeding, the squad is able to retire from service.

The first Bad Company had a comedic feel and seemed to have been influenced by the war film Three Kings. Bad Company 2 takes a more conventional action movie route removing some of the little nuances that charmed the original including the in-game radio (surf music during battle is awesome). The interaction between the squad is still retained yet much applied in a more subtle fashion than in the previous game. It's hilarious to hear conversations about Harrison Ford, the pronounciation of 50 Cent, and what would be the best mixed martial arts nickname for squad leader Sgt. Redford. It's up to committing some downtime to hear their comrade because of the game's much more confined level structure.

Unlike the first game's single player, Bad Company 2 removes most of the large scale semi-linear formula and takes a 180 degree turn. The choice results in a double-edge sword effect where although it goes outside Battlefield's tradition of big free-form action, the pacing is well timed and the action is much more fun. The completion time with the changes applied is shorter than the original Bad Company but the memorable moments throughout many beautiful environments kept me going back.

Some moments outside the gunplay and just seeing the mountain ranges, it almost looks photo realistic. Much detail has been taken care of for the updated Frostbite Engine with effects that I would have never thought would work on consoles. DICE did an excellent job in making a great looking game while running at an always constant 30 frames per second and allowing anybody destroy the world to their whim.

Just like the first Bad Company, the sequel makes use of destructive environments once again and increases by two-folds. Not only the walls can be destroyed, now with enough explosives, buildings can collapse killing anybody inside which is a great alternative for one of the multiplayer modes.

Without the gold, the Rush gametype follows the same format with some fixes including the defending team able to recompose and prepare for an attacking base. A smaller variant called Squad Rush is intense and requires everyone to work together on four on four combat. Versions of maps accommodate the mode as opposed to being tacked in. The conquest gametype originally absent at the first game's launch is here and does it job just fine. The last surprising mode is Squad Deathmatch where four squads of four members attack one another for the highest kills. That mode is great for a quick pick up and play without committing too much time.

With four classes specializing in different ways of playing, there is thought in picking one for a particular situation. Medics can heal and revive teammates while providing suppressing fire. Assaults use high powered rifles and grenade launchers to destroy enemy cover. Engineers are able to fix vehicles as well as destroy with rocket launchers. Recon units can snipe enemies from afar and infiltrate bases with spotting tools. The classes are simplified and much more accessible from the previous game.

Vehicles like in multiplayer as well as single player are threatening. Along with the usual tanks and helicopters, newly added is a small unmanned aerial vehicle which can provide missile support and suppression fire by means of a machine gun from above. For an attacking team, it's a godsend while the defensive side can feel overwhelmed if not destroyed.

The multiplayer grabs some elements experimented with downloadable Battlefield 1943 including squad member spawining which helps in very tight situations. It helps improve the communication and cooperation factor of Battlefield which is the key to success as opposed to running and gunning.

There is also unlocks that seem to be grabbed from Modern Warfare 2 but with a twist. Each experience gained in a class is added to getting a class-based upgrade including kits and weapons. Included are all kit perks and weapons for which someone who would like to go all out with a Thompson submachine gun while looking like a recon class is great.

Even with an emphasis in multiplayer (the box art says "Defining Online Warfare") and a single player that is lacking in length, the overall package in Bad Company 2 is excellent. It's a great alternative for people who want to try other high profile shooters in the market now besides Modern Warfare 2. There is enough variety and charm which will keep me going back for more building destruction online or offline.

9/10

Toy Soldiers (review)

Fine and dandy ol' chap!

Similar to the Xbox Live's Summer of Arcade program where a block of high profile Xbox Live Arcade games are released next to each other, the Spring season of 2010 has the Block Party containing such pieces as Perfect Dark and the tower-defense style game Toy Soldiers. Despite not being a fan of that genre, I gave Toy Soldiers a chance and in return was a really fun hybrid game.

Set in a World War I themed diorama containing toy soldiers and vehicles inside a bedroom, the single player campaign follows the British army defending against the attacking German forces. It plays out as more of a tower defense game where units can be built to prevent a set number or a boss entering and destroying the base (aka the toy box).

With the construction of defending machine guns, howitzers, and gas units, the said units along with tanks and helicopters can be fully controlled to help turn the tide in battle. That said, it comes with a price as it can increase the odds of loosing (especially during boss fights) if not treated with moderation; and it plays very well with that mentality.

The artificial intelligence and the order of attacking Germans were intimidating which forced me to make quick decisions of either constructing a particular unit or controlling an existing one. The boss fights not being dynamic in actions provide a sense of struggle because one bad move can ruin the match. If the boss destroyed, I felt relieved as well as invigorated of how I completed something that looked impossible.

Multiplayer follows the same basic fashion but give the possibility of attacking a base. With two players max on splitscreen and Xbox Live, both players have to defend and create attack plans which can be stressful but really fun.

Although being figurines, all of the working units look like a shrunken version of their real counterparts. With that and how the camera uses a macro-like focus, it reminded me of when I played small figurines when I was younger but much more visceral (although cartoon-like). To compliment the classic visual style is a snappy classic-style soundtrack which made me feel very dandy if I lost my base.

This is the closest game to commanding an army without feeling like some disembodied higher being. The charm it carries greatly benefit the overall experience. Coming from a very small studio, I am impressed at what Signal Studios done and is looking forward to the game's downloadable content and any future products.

8/10

Extortion - Loose Screws (review)

FAULTY WIRING

To reasonably respect the fast pace nature of Loose Screws from Perth, Australia's violence group let's do this:

A fast fucking intense piece of adrenaline assault of extreme music that improves upon their infectious Sick. With some pieces lasting up to 2 minutes, all of the songs don't compromise ferocity. Catchy and more addicting than Sick. It's like falling off a skyscraper; just like the album artwork presents.

If Napalm Death's Barney Greenway intimidating guest vocal on the appropriately titled "Grind To A Halt" doesn't attract you, the repetitive nature of "Faulty Wiring" will be stuck in your head.

FUCK.

9/10

Blacklisted - Eccentrichine (review)

Lost In An Illusion

It was a bit questionable of what Blacklisted done on the much experimental No One Deserves To Be Here More Than Me. No problem for me to like new distances and although I did like the album, there seemed to be an annoying vibe of that it sounds more of a solo album by singer George Hirsch than an actual Blacklisted album. Shortly after the record's stealthy release onto Deathwish Inc., a companion EP recently came about which in result makes question its purpose and makes me appreciate No One even more.

With only four songs, Eccentrichine features two new songs recorded from the No One session. That album lasted less than 30 minutes and the revealed pieces are conventional song length? "Stones Throw" could have been added no problem because it sounds like a song from the album while the title track could have been hidden or Japan only. The title track strays away to what we expect from them and goes all alternative rock. It does fall though into good concept/bad execution though; it fits here on an EP that's weak.

The other two songs fall under the same issue where the more electric "The P.I.G." is very exciting while an acoustic version of "Wish" lacks any energy. With only standing half way, Eccentrichine more of an optional piece for non-hardcore fans of Blacklisted.

5/10

Tactical Intervention tech demo video leaked

Fan site of the spiritual successor to Counter-Strike has uploaded a portion of a Tactical Intervention demonstration recorded with a handycam onto the internet for all of us to witness.

With a first look and actual gameplay footage revealed late last year, co-creator of Counter-Strike and head of Tactical Intervention Minh Le speaks and plays on behalf of the video showing what will be featured in the upcoming Source engine powered game.

The beginning of the video shows the Le shooting different objects within the environment including a rack of sweaters that dynamically flail when shot at. He was then able to use the butt of the primary weapon as a melee move without the need of a knife. About half-way in, the demonstration surprisingly presents the ability of having attack dogs that can be used by both terrorists and counter-terrorists. Near the end, Le shows some of actions the player can do including leaning, blindfiring without the need for a cover mechanism and taking a hostage as a human shield.

Though there are some similarities yet some differences to Counter-Strike, we will have to wait for the upcoming beta that was originally planned for a late 2009 release.



(Thanks Tactical-Intervention.info and This Is Game)