A Few Underrated Albums: Part Two!

So a couple weeks ago, I posted an entry about the best underrated albums of the year.  Fortunately, I had a comment about a new album so I checked them out.  I decided to do a quick review and post up the official album stream for your enjoyment.

Dissentient by AngelMaker

I'm not really into the whole metalcore scene, or whatever they wanted to be called these days, but this album rocks.  They are so incredibly technical that I cannot help but become enthralled with every song.  I am a big proponent for technical death metal and so when metalcore bands decide to throw in some major technical prowess, I have to appreciate them.  Overall, this album really surprised me since I am not a big metalcore fan and I would highly recommend it to any technical metal fan.

A Few Underrated Albums of the Year

So we've all been there.  Checking out some blog or podcast that we frequent and our favorite song or album isn't on their "Top 5 List." We go bananas.  I know I do.  Lately I've been listening to quite a few albums that aren't making it onto any top 5 lists and I feel they should.  So I've decided to make my own list of albums that have been under appreciated lately.  Check one out, you may be surprised!

Profan by Kampfar 
Looking for something totally blackened with a very old school feel to it?  Then these guys are your go-to band.  They have been around quite awhile and are constantly putting quality albums out.  Black metal has a very specific niche, so it's understandable why these guys get overlooked.

Exercises in Futility by Mgla
Another black metal band that pushes the limits.  All of the songs are movements of the overall theme and are filled with dark, engaging lyrics.  When I first listened to this album, I ended up having it on repeat for several loops.  The drum work is quite enjoyable.

Inescapable Damnation by Murashita
Time for some quality technical-melodic-thrash-death-metal.  Ok, so maybe we are just jamming genres of music together at this point, but the thrash elements show up more than to just make them a novelty (and oh yes, there is a wah solo).  And listen to the bass lines for some great technicality.  The riffs also throw some serious melody at your face.  Definitely pick this album up if you like thrash, melodic or technical death metal.

Road to Heaven by Dead Scream
Straight up melodic death metal anyone?  Yes please.  Sometimes you just need to throw on a quality album that moves at the speed of light.  When I listen to a good melodic death metal album, I like to feel the music move beneath me like a locomotive.  I haven't had this feeling in an album since Master of Puppets.  Highly recommended.

Space 1992: Rise of the Chaos Wizards by Gloryhammer
Is this serious?  You bet it is.  Sometimes you just need to put on album that doesn't take itself too seriously.  I've loved Gloryhammer since I heard Tales from the Kingdom of Fife, and while Space 1992 is not quite as remarkable, the charm is still there.  Along with the fun guitar work and symphonic feel, the album produces exactly what you expect a Gloryhammer album to deliver.  If you find it at a bargain, definitely pick up this "masterpiece."


So what did I miss?  Let me know of some of your favorite albums that just didn't get the recognition they deserved this year and put them in the comments below.

The Obligatory Pumpkin Beer Discussion

Fall is upon us and with it comes an overabundance of pumpkin related products.  It's everywhere and there is no escaping pumpkin-geddon. So obviously the pumpkin infusing maniacs have starting throwing pumpkin flavors into beer.

I'm not a die-hard pumpkin beer drinking fiend, but I will say I do enjoy it during the fall.  However, how can you know which ones to drink?  With so many pumpkin beers, how can anyone decide?  That's what I'm here for.  So below I've grabbed a few solid pumpkin beers, poured a glass and aim to guide you in the right direction.

Southern Tier - Pumpking

This is my go to Pumpkin beer.  The best part is, this is an IPA with a pumpkin spice hint to it.  Not a Pumpkin flavored beer (slight difference).  There is a nice hoppy taste to it and the beautiful orange amber color (captured poorly in the image above) is very aesthetically pleasing.  The best part of Pumpking is the lack of sweetness, but rather a solid bitter.  The aroma is really nice and gives way to the taste that is almost more of a ginger snap cookie than pumpkin pie.  Highly recommended if you must try a Pumpkin beer, but want to retain your hipster beer drinking street cred.

Dogfish Head Pumpkin Ale

This is your classic pumpkin ale.  Classic pumpkin ale sweetness and incredibly smooth.  There is very little bitterness to it which leads to a very refreshing pumpkin taste.  The taste is really only present in the middle, your first sip and your back end taste will leave you pretty empty.  You wouldn't even know this was a pumpkin beer from the aroma, which is kind of nice.  Pour it in a glass and no one would even know you're drinking a dreaded pumpkin beer.

Shocktop Pumpkin Belgian Wheat

I've really only included this beer on here since this is the one pumpkin beer you will probably be able to find at almost any bar in the country.  This beer is also incredibly refreshing, since the base is a belgian wheat.  The color is a dead orange, so if you want people to know you're drinking a pumpkin ale, this is the one.  The aroma has a nice pumpkin scent, but the taste is rather bland.  It was more like I had a bite of a pumpkin pie while I was drinking a regular Shocktop.  I can't say I recommend this beer for its pumpkin taste, but if you like Shocktop then you'll like this.












So there you have it.  3 pretty decent Pumpkin beers to jump you into fall beer drinking.  There are many other pumpkin beers out there, and I'm sure there are others that taste way better.  Your favorite not on the above list?  You actually hate one that I liked?  Post your comments below on your favorite fall beers and make some recommendations for me to try out!

Stop the War on Squats

There’s an epidemic hitting gyms across the nation and it’s starting from the ground up.  Ever so gradually, gym-goers (I refuse to use the term “weightlighters,” “bodybuilders” or “powerlifters,” since they are immune) are skipping leg day.  And, more importantly, they are utilizing the holy Squat Rack for uses I have never seen before.

Anyone who has ever lifted weights for a purpose, rather than because they saw “Johnny D’s Massive Chest Workout 3.0” in Flex Magazine knows the importance of squats and the dreaded “Leg Day.”  Unless you’re a bro-lifter and just looking to have big arms and a six pack, you yearn for leg day.  Without getting too technical and science-y, let’s just face the obvious: The Squat works huge muscles and muscle groups, as well as synergistically activating a lot of core muscle.  Thus, you are releasing large amounts of growth hormone (actually, the most of any exercise).  You WILL get stronger by doing squats.

So here lies the problem: so many gym goers are skipping out on squat day.  They think leg day is doing 3 sets of leg curls, 3 sets of leg extensions and running on the treadmill for 30 minutes. Or my personal favorite, someone loads up 225 on the squat rack only to drop into a ½ inch squat 8 times and call it a day.

Here’s a novel idea: leave your ego at the door.  Put on a weight you are almost comfortable lifting and drop your ass to the grass.  You don’t have to lift 500 lbs 10 times to make progress.  A simple (and highly popular) way to squat is a simple 5x5 or even 3x5 routine.  No one but you is judging you in the gym.  And if someone is judging you, do you really care?  Let them sit over there and do “Buster P’s Rock Solid Arm Blasting Workout” 5 days a week and make zero strength gains because they can only properly squat 100 lbs.

And one more thing, if you aren’t going to squat, THEN GET THE HELL OUT OF THE SQUAT RACK.  This happened to me the other day:  An individual loaded up 225 on the Squat Rack on the safety bars so that they could do shrugs.  But instead of doing just shrugs, they decided to commandeer the squat rack while they did shrugs as 1 exercise in a circuit of about 15.  Yes, because when I’m waiting on 1 of 2 squat racks in the entire gym, I want to watch you struggle to shrug 225 twice just to then go over to a medicine ball and do crunches and then bicep curls.  What?!  And when I ask you how long you’re going to be (doing that stupid workout), I don’t need you to respond by saying “yeah… it’s going to be awhile.”  Yes, it is going to be awhile. Awhile for you to make any progress since I see you in the gym every day, but you never work legs.  If you want to do a bunch of random exercises in no coherent order while providing a nearly 100% change of injury, you should just go join a crossfit “gym”.  Until then, keep your nonsense out of the squat rack.

"Ass to Grass"

Album Alert: Slayer - Repentless

http://loudwire.com/files/2015/06/Slayer-Repentless1.jpg

Slayer released their newest album on September 11 of 2015.  I got my hands on it, listened to it a few times and have some first impressions.

Overall, the album is slightly above mediocre.  I hate to say that, I really do, but the truth hurts.  This article is less of a review and more of a "what I wish it could've been."

A few years ago Jeff Hanneman passed away and Slayer struggled with the idea if they should continue writing music.  Tom Araya wanted to stop, but Kerry insisted they push on.  I think that's what Jeff would've wanted anyway.  After all, when Metallica bassist Cliff Burton died in a tragic bus crash, Metallica put out ...And Justice for All.  Which, in my own personal opinion, ranks as one of the better, if not best, Metallica albums.  The songs were heavy, the riffs were in your face and James Hetfield just sounded pissed off on every track.  

I was expecting the same from Slayer on this album, but unfortunately I didn't get it.  I think if Jeff would've died when Slayer was young and in their twenties, this would've been a crazy album.  There would've been added anger to an already angry band.  But now, in their fifties, Slayer just sounds depressed after losing a close friend of over 30 years.  The album seems a little void and empty.

Sure, there are classic Slayer riffs and solos, but nothing is too memorable.  I can't think of a single track that I went back and listened to again immediately after it finished.  If this was an album dedicated to Jeff, they fell a little short.  All Repentless really made me do was want to go back and listen to their classic albums, maybe throw on Reign in Blood or Seasons in the Abyss and remember the days of Jeff.

Below you can check out a track and judge for yourself.  If anything, they are still Slayer.  Their sound hasn't changed, but now they are just a bunch of 50 year old metalheads instead of the angry 20 year olds they used to be.

Welcome

Welcome fellow beer drinkers, weight lifters and metal heads.  If any or all of those titles apply to you, then you have come to the right place.  There are a lot of blogs out there for beer guys (and gals!), gym rats and metal heads, but what about those that fall into two or three of those categories? What about us!?  Fear not, that's why you're here.
 
If you are looking for the newest fad fitness trend, then you've come to the wrong place.  Want a review of the newest pop album?  Try again.  A poll of what's better: Bud Light or Coors Light? Dead wrong.

But if you're looking for that brutal playlist to listen to while going heavy on leg day, then you've come to the right place.  And what about that post workout beer (Is that even a thing?!)? Or the best type of beer to drink while slamming to some Brain Drill or thrashing to Skeletonwitch?  I've got you covered.  Sure, some days you may only see a new album review, a new workout philosophy or even homebrew tips; however there will always be a collaboration somewhere in the post.  So check it out and get ready to get big, get brutal and get drinking!

Disclaimer: Beer goes well with a lot of great things except for two: Driving and Working Out.  Drink responsibly, Lift Responsibly and Headbang Irresponsibly. \m/

Weightroom

Weightroom test page 1 - this goes in the weightroom page.