Wordless Wednesday: UTP 12th Convocation

Can you see me?

Ulasan: KISS s/t CD

Semasa kecil diperkenalkan dengan muzik rock dan metal, KISS sangat menarik perhatian. Contengan muka mereka mengejutkan terutama Gene Simmons. Album Creatures of the Night dan Destroyer pada pandangan mata yang tidak dilatih, sangat ganas dan kejam. Namun apabila telinga mendengar, hampa. Saya mengharapkan sesuatu yang lebih heavy dari Scorpions, Deep Purple dan DIO ketika itu. Tetapi sebenarnya mereka memainkan muzik rock n roll dengan bunyi gitar distorted kuasa kecil. Sebenarnya itulah KISS. Apabila kita mendengar album pertama ini, jangan harap sesuatu yang heavy. Namun album ini sarat dengan lagu-lagu anthemic KISS sepanjang zaman seperti Deuce, Strutter, Black Diamond dan Cold Gin. Saya difahamkan show live mereka lebih extravanganza. Mungkin saya perlu menontonnya dan akan lebih menghargai KISS.

Review: GENERAL SURGERY Left Hand Pathology CD

Bloody Carcass clone! Do we need anymore of this shameless copycat? The world is already full with clones and copies. But hang on, they have been doing this since 1990! One of the earliest Carcass clone that is still alive and kicking (they actually disbanded soon after 1991's Necrology EP but returned in 2003). Taking that into consideration and the fact that Carcass has abandoned what they have created after Necroticism, then having another clone is not really a problem. Besides, General Surgery has put such a quality that the only thing you will remember when you listen to this CD is CARCASS; the grinding years of Reek and Symphonies. All the staples you used to with the two Carcass' albums are highlighted in the CD. That good! You remember the time when grindcore was supposed to be, not to technical, not too fast and no pig's squeal. Now I am hooked. Tried not to listen to this in my car stereo because I am have an originality-ego but failed so far.

Wordless Wednesday: Jin di Mount Bromo

Jari?

Filem: The Girl Who Played with Fire (2009)

Untuk ulasan-ulasan yang terdahulu, sila layari http://wayanggambar.blogspot.com. Saya membuat keputusan untuk menutup blog tersebut kerana kurang sambutan/pageview.

Juga jangan lupa untuk join MOVIE ADDICT di facebook!

**********************

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1216487/

Siri kedua dari trilogi yang menggamit. Jangan jadikan bahasa Sweden sebagai alasan untuk tidak menontonnya.

SKOR: 8/10

Review: VISITANT The Sword Without Eyes EP

Sorry for not remembering how they sound but it was their fault for releasing a split with Kuantan's behemoth, Tasyim. I kept on listening to Tasyim, ignoring Visitant all the way. No matter how hard I try to remember, Visitant just doesn't click. I don't have any memories to compare with this. Most of us remember the name, as a band considered an "otai" from Kuantan. I was expecting some Death Metal in the vein of the latter years of Swedish Death Metal but I was in the mistake. They take their direction from the Norwegian cold, the first two tracks (out of four) take me back to the memory of Emperor, minus the technical part. Thanks to the fast-paced rhythm with symphonic-keyboards embedded in them. The latter 2 tracks are more folk-metal oriented, combining the -40 degrees Centigrade of cold Northern winter with... err, Phrygian blazing sun? I don't know how they did it, but the 3rd track sounds so weird, it takes a while for you to shift hearing, at least to me. I would question them, which direction you'd prefer guys? Either way, there is nothing to lose looking at the quality of works they are offering with this EP.

www.facebook.com/Visitant.Official

www.facebook.com/CelestialFrequency

Happy 13th Anniversary!

It's a bit chaotic sometimes ;) ... but we'll manage insyaAllah.

Sudah 13 ka?

Filem: Absence of Malice (1981)

Untuk ulasan-ulasan yang terdahulu, sila layari http://wayanggambar.blogspot.com. Saya membuat keputusan untuk menutup blog tersebut kerana kurang sambutan/pageview.

Juga jangan lupa untuk join MOVIE ADDICT di facebook!

**********************

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081974/

Suatu masa dahulu kita disajikan dengan filem tanpa aksi hebat dan elemen konspirasi melampau. Ia bergantung semata-mata kepada plot yang menarik dan kekuatan pelakonnya. Ini adalah salah satu filem itu.

SKOR: 8/10

Filem: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Untuk ulasan-ulasan yang terdahulu, sila layari http://wayanggambar.blogspot.com. Saya membuat keputusan untuk menutup blog tersebut kerana kurang sambutan/pageview.

Juga jangan lupa untuk join MOVIE ADDICT di facebook!

**********************

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1345836/

Karektor sebenar yang memberi kesan dalam filem ini adalah Alfred. Saya sukakan ini tetapi tidak dapat menyaingi beliau melawan Joker.

SKOR: 7/10

Filem: John Carter (2012)

Untuk ulasan-ulasan yang terdahulu, sila layari http://wayanggambar.blogspot.com. Saya membuat keputusan untuk menutup blog tersebut kerana kurang sambutan/pageview.

Juga jangan lupa untuk join MOVIE ADDICT di facebook!

**********************

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401729/

What a bloody waste of my time. Anything below 6 is a waste. This one is a 5.

SKOR: 5/10

Mount Bromo, East Java Pt 2

After the breakfast, we were taken to the "savannah".

It was actually a flat land surrounding the craters most of it were ashes and volcanic dust. However at the other side of it, there was a flat land with bushes and grasses. As it was during the hot season, the plants were yellow and rusty.

I found out later that when the volcanic activities were present, there were also "ash dunes" in which (I think), the gas escaped from the soil in high pressure, pushing also the ash on the surface. It was like a volcano without the lava but with ashes.

The surrounding was serene and can be eerie if not for the crowd that I went together with. I cannot imagine if at that moment the volcano erupted. We probably have just minutes to run to the near hills where the lava cannot reach us.

This was super cool. Jeep catching up with other jeeps.

The tracks were quite tricky. Our jeep was stucked in the ashes a few times.

Time for self indulgence.

The sun was shining bright but the temperature was quite OK. No need to throw away the jumper yet.

Self indulgence for the umpteenth times.

We were cringing and making jokes with this signboard. Or was it just our luck that the volcano didn't erupt that day? Some of us smoked like there were no tomorrows despite the warning.

Our group of merry men and women.

This was not Indonesia. This was more like Mongolia or other strange places.

Of course we cannot resist group photos!

To be continued...

Filem: The Last House on the Left (2009)

Untuk ulasan-ulasan yang terdahulu, sila layari http://wayanggambar.blogspot.com. Saya membuat keputusan untuk menutup blog tersebut kerana kurang sambutan/pageview.

Juga jangan lupa untuk join MOVIE ADDICT di facebook!

**********************

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0844708/

Keganasan filem ini menyebabkan anda mahu menonton versi original (1972) dan filem asal inspirasinya, The Virgin Spring, arahan Ingmar Bergman.

SKOR: 8/10

Mount Bromo, East Java Pt 1

The Mount Bromo hiking program looks like this:

1. Visitors must reach at the final bus stop (some small town) before 3am.
2. At 3am, you will hop on a jeep to Mount Bromo.
3. You will reach there close to 4am. You may want to do your Fajr solat.
4. You will do the hiking to the viewing spot before sunrise, because the objective is to see sunrise over Mount Bromo.
5. If you don't like the idea of hiking, there are also horses for rent. Cost about 50K-100K Rp. Hiking will definitely test your endurance as the environment was cold and perhaps also, lack of oxygen (or maybe dust) that may effect the quality of the air you breathe.

Waiting for fajr solat time.

The craters.

Another view.

When the sun has appeared fully, it is time to get back to the jeep for another site visit. Notice the horses for rent.

Notice the sand (+ maybe volcano dust as well).

See the dust? 

The jeep convoy since we are 40 people altogether. 1 driver and 5 passengers each.

Our next stop is of course for breakfast. We thought we already had it enough but it was only the beginning. More fun ahead. To be continued.

Review: OPETH Heritage CD

With this album, Opeth is jumping into a new class altogether. Relying mostly on acoustic guitars to create serene and soothing surroundings, throwing away the huge distortion for a twanged overdrive and overwhelming the colours with 70s organ. Mikael Åkerfeldt has almost entirely abandoned the growls. Although some might argue that this is nothing original (we heard this kind before with Hammers of Misfortune), you just cannot resist to listen the beautiful compositions - again and again; the 70s prog eruptions embed in the current studio productions. Some might even called them a sell out. But what kind of sell out can make with this kind of elitist sub-genre? I say, just do what you want to do. We will patiently wait for the next surprise.

IMarEST annual dinner 2012

Diapit Prof. Dr. Muhd Fadhil Nuruddin (Dean, Faculty of Engineering, UTP) dan Commander Franklin Joseph (Honorary Secretary, IMarEST). Venue: Hotel Istana, KL.

Filem: Dredd 3D (2012)

Untuk ulasan-ulasan yang terdahulu, sila layari http://wayanggambar.blogspot.com. Saya membuat keputusan untuk menutup blog tersebut kerana kurang sambutan/pageview.

Juga jangan lupa untuk join MOVIE ADDICT di facebook!

**********************

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1343727/

Kegeraman kita terhadap penjenayah di dunia sekarang ini kadang-kadang mengharapkan kedatangan beliau ke alam realiti. I am the LAW!

SKOR: 8/10

Menyingkap Gerakan Freemason di Philadelphia 6

Sambungan cerita tahun lepas tak habis hahaha... KLIK

Untuk entri kali ini, saya lebihkan gambar di dalam bangunan tersebut. Sila buat andaian dan teori konspirasi sendiri.

Seperti yang dinyatakan sebelum ini, interior design bangunan memang tahap istana. Anda boleh habiskan masa berjam-jam berdiri dalam satu ruang dan menikmati detail bilik tersebut.

 Angels or devils in disguise?

 We looked in awe.

 Berjalan di tengah dua tangga cantik melepasi gerbang...

 If you look up too much, you will drool without noticing.

 Saya dah cakap. Memang orang akan mendongak punya.

Kalau ini tidak menakjubkan, apa lagi?

Filem: Secret Reunion (2010)

Untuk ulasan-ulasan yang terdahulu, sila layari http://wayanggambar.blogspot.com. Saya membuat keputusan untuk menutup blog tersebut kerana kurang sambutan/pageview.

Juga jangan lupa untuk join MOVIE ADDICT di facebook!

**********************

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1535491/

Kenapa filem Korea best-best belaka?

SKOR: 8/10

Russian Circles live at Sun Flower Hall Petaling Jaya 12 October 2012

FLAWLESS! Itu tanggapan pertama aku lepas menonton show dari Russian Circles. Aku tak pernah dengar tentang band ini sehingga 2 minggu lepas. Ambum ‘Empros’ pun aku hanya dengar melalui salinan digital yang aku download. First impression; band ni memang sedap for a heavy post rock instrumental triplet. Lately aku lebih ke arah death metal padat (ikut mood sebenarnya) and I guess it is also good to be open to different stuff at times. Instrumental Russian Circles bukan jenis boring. Groovy, catchy dan at times, heavy. I was looking forward to a great deal of awesomeness when I knew I am going to see these guys, live.

Ternyata tanggapan aku betul. Russian Circles kill!. Venue yang kecil, padat dan very well sound proofed, lebih memeriahkan suasana. Band yang paling dekat genre nya aku pernah tengok live sebelum Russian Circle, mungkin Baroness. Memandangkan banyak riff mereka ini mengenangkan aku pada Baroness. Mungkin Baroness a step lower than these guys in terms of showing tight live vibrance. Russian Circles tidak menawarkan sebarang vokal dalam persembahan mereka, tapi mereka menawarkan a great deal of music to do the talking. 

Setting gitar dan bass bukan calang-calang untuk band yang ‘letting the music do the talking’. Setting drum kit yang minimal, ditambah lagi dengan setting stage yang ‘dark’ dan minimal, sangat memberangsangkan suasana malam itu. Aku dah lama tak pergi show, bila pergi yang ni, rasa macam pergi show Krisiun pulak dek drumming yang intense, gitar play yang flawless dan bass play yang aggressive. Great sound overall, I kid you not.

To sum up, it was an awesome 1 hour 15 minute show (with 1 encore). Aku tak pasti apa set list untuk show ini. Show sangat minimalistic, no opening band, no vocal, but intense heavy music. For those who are looking for a great heavy instrumental music, I would recommend you to listen to Russian Circles. 

9/10

 

Ulasan oleh: Lutfie.

Filem: Bernie (2011)

Untuk ulasan-ulasan yang terdahulu, sila layari http://wayanggambar.blogspot.com. Saya membuat keputusan untuk menutup blog tersebut kerana kurang sambutan/pageview.

Juga jangan lupa untuk join MOVIE ADDICT di facebook!

**********************

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1704573/

Black comedy dengan lakonan Jack Black yang memberansangkan. Dengan arahan dari Richard Linklater, kolaborator lama.

SKOR: 7/10

Filem: Network (1976)

Untuk ulasan-ulasan yang terdahulu, sila layari http://wayanggambar.blogspot.com. Saya membuat keputusan untuk menutup blog tersebut kerana kurang sambutan/pageview.

Juga jangan lupa untuk join MOVIE ADDICT di facebook!

**********************

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074958/

Politik korporat yang dibayangkan dengan suasana yang logik tak logik. Memang layak 4 anugerah Academy yang dimenangi tahun 1977. Tetapi anda harus bersabar menontonnya.

SKOR: 9/10