White Board Mafia

2009 was a hell of a year, that’s for sure. We saw the release of many albums that will be enjoyed for years to come, and a perfect mood setter for the Halloween season finally saw a release. Wrestlemania 25 went down in Houston, and 3/4 of the White Board Mafia was there to witness it live and in person. A few decent movies were released in theaters, but nothing I went absolutely batshit over. I got to see some incredible live acts as well. Here is a condensed list of my favorite points of 2009.

cKy – Carver City
I’ve been a fan of cKy since 01/02 when I got turned on to the DVDs in high school and I’ve followed them through their career and I can honestly say that no one sound like cKy, they’re simply in a league of their own. This is easily my favorite album from the group, and I highly suggest you scoop it up.

P.O.S. – Never Better
The Junior album from that lovable piece of shit from Minnesota, this album is topping a lot of “Best of 09″ lists. I love this album from front to back, I’m just disappointed I still haven’t seen him live yet.

Mastodon – Crack The Skye
If you take mind altering substances, this is the album for you. A concept album that follows a rollercoaster of a story that you’ll agree is one of the most inventive things you’ve ever heard. Mix that with a solidly written album, and you have a recipe for success.

Insane Clown Posse – Bang Pow Boom
This album was highly touted as the “Return of the Dark Carnival”. Every act has billed their newest album as the darkest, or sounds like the old stuff, or whatever the fans want to hear. The difference is, the wicked clowns got it right. This album brings be back to when I got into ICP around 97, and the live show was brought back in full force as well. 5 dates on the tour including the Hallowicked stop in Detroit on 10/31, and I could have easily done another 5.

Twiztid – W.I.C.K.E.D.
Personally, I think this is Twiztid’s best album since the Mostasteless album(s) dropped. The album flows so well and every track is a banger. There must be something in the water in Detroit Murderous, because both ICP and Twiztid albums this year were worth their weight in gold.

The only movie I’ll mention is Trick ‘r Treat, because it deserves the most attention, by FAR. Originally attached to the DVD of 300, this movie has had a cult following of people that have never seen it, campaigning for its release. Years passed, but the faithful did not forget. This year, it was finally released to smashing reviews and currently sits at an 86%(As of when I wrote this) on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a very high rating for a movie with no promotion that people have every right to be angry at. It’s an incredibly fun set of Halloween stories that’s perfect to get you in the mood for the best season of the year, the Season of the Pumpkin.

This year, I got to see Nine Inch Nails again. Their performance I saw in Philadelphia with A Perfect Circle on tour for The Fragile has topped my list of shows as the best I’ve ever seen. That was, until August 6, when I finally got to see the Don Dada himself, Ice Cube. As the main act for the opening ceremonies of the 10th annual Gathering of the Juggalos, he followed solid sets by the likes of Paradime and MC Chris, and blew the entire crowd away. Not once did the energy stop. EVERY song was a banger, every song had the crowd moving, and dare I say it, it’s the best live performance I’ve ever seen, Gathering or not.

Wrestlemania 25, oh what a trip you were. I can’t really add on to what’s already been said, without repeating that Undertaker vs Shawn Micheals was the best wrestling match I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Live, taped, it makes no difference. That match blew the roof off the dome and blew every other match that night away. I felt every single emotion during that spectacular display, and couldn’t have been prouder when Undertaker sealed the victory.

All in all, 2009 is one of the best years I’ve had in a long time. I made a lot of good memories with a lot of close friends, got more ink, traveled all over the country, and even picked up some nice stuff along the way. 2010, let’s see if you can compare.

So I’ve managed to whittle down my top 5 favorite albums, but I’m still working on those video games! I’m having too much fun with Borderlands and Assassin’s Creed 2 to seriously get down to business, sit down and try to beat them!

Regardless, here’s Boomaga’s Top 5 Albums of 2009…

5. POS – Never Better

Rhymesayers continues to be my favorite label for hip hop. Atmosphere’s “When Life Gives You Lemons…” was one of my favorite albums of 2008 and their trend of excellence continues with POS’ Never Better. You’ll never hear me listen to a Top 40 or rap station on the radio, because 99% of what they play is garbage. However, there is another subsection of hip hop that actually is thoughtful, deep and culturally relevant, and POS’ Never Better is the best example of that sect In 2009. POS is a talented wordsmith, able to write and deliver his lines with flair and creativity and his beats are unique and catchy, letting you bob your head as you think about what he’s saying. As a metal head, the hip hop albums I like are few and far between, so when I say there’s one people should actually pay attention to, you can take it to the bank.

4. Megadeth – Endgame

Megadeth has this strange talent that seems to be exclusive to them. They’re one of the first bands I ever really got into, and unlike other classic metal bands like Iron Maiden and Metallica, they always seem to vanish from my attention. Then, out of nowhere, Dave Mustaine and his rotating collection of metal misfits seem to tear their way back into my metal consciousness. They did it in 2004 with the System has Failed and now again in 2009 with Endgame. Their 2007 album seemed kinda weak, but Endgame is short, to the point, heavy, thrashy and amazing. From the opening instrumental to the last few moments, Endgame doesn’t let up for one bit and recalls Megadeth’s finest days in the mid to late 80’s. Not one second of time is wasted in this perfectly executed, concise album, leading me to pop this CD into my car or stereo and listen to it over and over and over. It’s hard to say all of today’s long-time metal acts have what they had 20 years ago. Slayer seems to be writing the same album over and over again, Judas Priest doesn’t know if they want to be like Sabbath or Jethro Tull (Nostradamus, anyone?) but Megadeth still manages to stay fresh while reminding old metal heads why they loved the band in the first place.

3. Lamb of God – Wrath

I love Lamb of God, they are an incredibly energetic live act and their music makes me want to punch some faces. That being said, I can rarely listen to a complete Lamb of God album from start to finish. I have all of their albums but I’ve listened to them the whole way through very little. The reason being is that LoG’s hardest hitting songs are awesome, most of the stuff they play live and the singles are pretty intense and great to listen to. However, some of their deep tracks are pretty weak and everything starts to run together about 5-6 tracks in. Wrath breaks that cycle and delivers a solid metal experience from beginning to end. Each LoG album has its share of great songs, but this may be their first completely great album, despite what its naysayers think.

2. CKY – Carver City

This would be my dark horse. I didn’t really care about CKY prior to 2009, I had heard their older stuff and didn’t give it a second thought. Well, I’m glad I found Carver City or else I’d never know what I missed. Carver City isn’t groundbreaking or technically amazing, it’s just a solid, fun rock album and there aren’t nearly enough of those. Memorable riffs, catchy hooks, plentiful organs (it’s an inside joke and quip about some of the unique features of this album), Carver City just plain rocks. I’d recommend this to fans of metal, hard rock and alternative alike. These guys can span a pretty wide audience, it’s amazing they really haven’t broken through the mainstream yet, there are quite a few songs on this album I could imagine hearing on the radio, but I guess the record industry is too busy looking for the next AC/DC knockoff to find the quality rock music sitting right in front of them.

1. Mastodon – Crack the Skye

This one was a no-brainer. Anyone who’s known me, followed my Facebook posts or listened to my musical rants knows that Crack the Skye was not only my favorite album of 2009, but has quickly ascended to one of my favorite albums of all time and my favorite work from Mastodon, period. The third in a series of excellent and varied concept albums, Crack the Skye stands as Mastodon’s most mature, complex and emotional work to date.

Drawing from a number of musical, literary and metaphysical influences, Crack the Skye tells the story of someone’s soul losing its way across the universe, trying to find its way back home. There’s such a strong feeling of hopelessness and despair during the journey I can’t help but feel emotionally attached to the tale through some of my own personal journeys over the last year. A 50-minute long epic spread across 7 tracks scouring several metal and rock genres, its hard to pinpoint the words to describe how the album sounds and feels except for give it a try. You don’t have to love Mastodon or metal to appreciate what Crack the Skye does, you just have to have an open mind and an appreciation for something a little different.

And now, my biggest disappointments of 2009…

God Forbid’s “Earthsblood” and Chimaira’s “The Infection” – I am putting these two together for the distinct reason that they were both disappointing follow-ups to amazing metal albums. While I’ve made peace with both albums and think they are both decent, Earthsblood doesn’t touch Constitution of Treason and the Infection shouldn’t even be on the same shelf as Resurrection. Better luck next time, guys.

Every year on the message boards and blogs I post on, I usually post 3 messages, one with my top movies, albums and video games of the year. Well, I’m still undecided on the albums and I’m still playing through a lot of 2009’s best games, so I don’t feel I’m ready to write those posts, but in a generally disappointing year of movies, I’m ready to reveal which of the few good ones I saw were my favorites.

Boomaga’s TOP FIVE FILMS OF 2009

5. The Hangover – I usually don’t have any comedies on my yearly list, but that’s because most comedies nowadays kinda suck. I’ll see them in the theaters and they’re one and done affairs, walk away with a few laughs and never need to see them again. The Hangover was different, loaded with enough witty remarks, ridiculous situations and clever jokes to keep me laughing several times through, this movie is something different. It’s a comedy that almost anyone can enjoy, provided they’re not the easily offended type.

4. Up – I don’t think a single movie this year made me laugh or tear up as much as this one. While it’s not Pixar’s best movie, even their worst movies usually end up being some of the best films of their respective years. I never thought I’d want to see the adventures of an old widower and a young cub scout, but I couldn’t help but be drawn into their story of adventure and mutual friendship in a beautifully rendered wilderness.

3. Watchmen – This movie was made for people who read the book. That being said, I read the book and loved this movie. Slavishly loyal to this source material, this was literally the comic brought to life. Now, because of that it became a little long winded and hard to swallow for folks not familiar with the original material, but as a fan of the book I will say I don’t think they could have done a better job. All the intense moments and favorite characters brought to life before me couldn’t make me happier, kudos to Zach Snyder for giving us Watchmen fans the best film adaptation we could hope for.

2. Inglourious Basterds – SPOILER ALERT….

I can’t not like any World War II movie where they kill Hitler. After being sucked into Tarantino’s wild world by Kill Bill and massively disappointed by Death Proof, I didn’t know what to expect from Inglorious Basterds. World War II seemed like a time where Tarantino’s style and scripting wouldn’t really flourish, but I was wrong. From the drawn-out and increasingly tense dialogue in the first scene to our introduction to the titular Basterds to the very last swastika being carved into Hans Landa’s head, this was Tarantino at his finest, a truly interesting and original take on cinema.

1. Star Trek – Of all the movies I saw in 2009, none of them captivated me and kept a smile on my face like JJ Abram’s Star Trek. I was never a huge fan of the original series or any of the Trek material, or anything JJ Abram has done for that matter, but the stars must have aligned for this project. I had seen a couple of the older Trek movies and knew who the main characters were, but I was nowhere near a Trekkie, and this movie managed to blow me away. A fantastic and likable cast, which is uncanny in most of today’s movies, a mix of new and nostalgic elements from the series, great action and special effects and a well-paced storyline that was more likely to keep you enthralled and entertained. It wasn’t trying to be revolutionary like Avatar or pretentious like District 9, it was just trying to be fun, and that’s really what movies should strive to be, they are entertainment after all. I can honestly say I didn’t enjoy myself more at the movie theaters than I did watching Star Trek, and that is why it is my favorite movie of 2009.

Also, here were my biggest disappointments of 2009:

- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: I watched Harry Potter 4 and 5 right before this came out and was actually pretty hyped for it. I’m not a huge fan of the franchise, but I enjoyed the previous two movies and was excited for the new one, which proved to be one of the most boring movies I ever saw. 2 hours long and covered a plot point that could have been wrapped up in like 10 minutes, the rest of the time nothing fucking happened. Just a long-ass teenage snogging Dumblebore.

- Public Enemies – Two of my favorite actors in a real-life gangster drama, sounds sweet to me, too bad neither of the actors played likeable characters and the entire movie seemed to put along at an uninteresting pace. I couldn’t get sucked into it and spent the entire 2 movies battling sleep.

- Avatar – This really shouldn’t be on here because I wasn’t that excited to see it, but this movie was all style and no substance with all the special effects to impress someone who’s never played a Playstation 3.

Although the top films were easily my favorites of 2009, I don’t think any of them would rank within my top 10 films of the decade, 2000-2009. I’m currently trying to break down what’s going to be included in that list but I already know what number 1 is by a landslide, I’ll give you a hint, it rhymes with “Fjord of the Pings”.

59 is a wonderful number, but 60 is even better. I’ve done up the final list of Psychopathic events I’ve been to, and this year’s New Year’s Evil caps it at 59 total. I’d love to end the list at 60, but what can you do? I’ve already got some Twiztid dates planned for 2010, plus the Insane Clown Posse’s Oddball Extravaganza show in Philly on March 20. One time for one off shows in Philly. I’ve taken on new responsibilities lately as an admin over at Psychopathic Traders, come on by and check us out. We rule. I’m currently caught up in Adidas new Star Wars line. Check em out they’re hot as fuck. I’ll be scooping up a pair or 2 of the X-Wings once they drop and I’ve already picked up 2 of the shirts. I’m not one for Christmas so I’m just looking forward to spending new years with my beautiful girlfriend and the Juggalo family up in Cleveland. Shouts to AF, JimmyC, Andy D, and all those homies. On the video game tip I recently picked up a Genesis 2, OG Gameboy, Neo Geo Pocket Color, and a Osaka Pokemon Center GBA, all boxed, and a new/sealed Famicom syle Game Boy Micro. I’ll probably make a post Christmas update but I dunno. Until next time Mafiosos!

It’s been a long 5 years since Dimebag Darrell was selfishly taken from us by the acts of a madman that should have been institutionalized.  Instead, he was allowed to walk around with the choice to stop taking his medication.  If you talk to the older generations, they’ll say that they can never forget what happened when certain events occurred.  JFK’s assassination is one.  While I’m in no way comparing Dimebag to JFK, it’s a similar situation.  He was important to a very large amount of people and was ripped from us when they still had so much to give to us.  I’ll never forget being in the Stratford Diner and getting multiple text messages and calls, all of them from people turning to me for information, as I am usually the first to get it.  I left the diner, shaken, and drove home, spending the rest of the night online looking for news reports and talking to a very good friend of mine that lives in Dallas.  I never got to meet Dimebag, but I was lucky enough to see Pantera twice, and Damageplan once.  A lot of people have been accused of cashing in on his death, including his own brother.  Personally, I do not think Mr. Vinnie Paul has done anything to cash in on his brother’s memory, only to help find ways for his brother to be remembered.  On the Black Label Society album “Mafia”, Zakk Wylde dedicated the song In This River to Dime.  This song is breathtaking.  The video can still jerk tears out of me to this day.  I’ve gotten to see the song live many times, and it is always a very emotional affair, something very hard to pull off with BLS’ audience.  Now, in 2009, Metal Hammer has released this year’s metal covers album, a tribute to Dime.  I’m usually 40/60 on these albums, but I had extra special hopes for this one.  So far, I’m not disappointed with what I’ve heard from the tracks I’ve expected to like.  My favorite thus far is Zakk’s cover of Suicide Note Part 1. (The link I had here to all the tracks no longer works, try checking Youtube.)  The issue should be on shelves this week.

One of the things that goes with being a nerd w/an internet connection is trading stories and pickups with like minded people across the web. I had a girl I know from www.psychopathictraders.com tell me she went to a store called Play N Trade and picked up a boxed N64, boxed controller, boxed memory card, and Goldeneye for $55. That’s a STEAL. I was immediately infuriated that store isn’t in my area and I’m unable to partake in their delicious pricing. Earlier this week…and by that I mean yesterday, a friend sent me a link to their site and asked if I’d ever been there. After expressing my anger at no, he tells me a store is open in Marlton. How awesome, that’s between work and home for me. Boomaga and I drove by, and it wasn’t open for business yet, so we drove to another possible location in the Cherry Hill mall and there wasn’t even a storefront. I called the number on the site today, and the district manager answered. He told me they should be opening Mon, Tues, or Wed next week and that I should come by and ask for him when I’m in. I definitely plan on driving by the store every day on the way home from work next week and hopefully I can catch a great deal on some boxed systems. Now if only I don’t spend all my money between now and then. Check em out online at http://www.playntrade.com and see if there is a store in your area. I’ll also post an update after we get in the store.

I’ve been listening to video game music my entire life. Video game music was the first real music for which I had an ear and a passion. Eventually as I grew into a teenager I found my own musical identity, when I became a huge metal fan, listening to the bands which are still my favorites today like Metallica and Iron Maiden. However, before I first heard Master of Puppets, I had been making my own cassette tapes of video game soundtracks for years. Castlevania, Darkstalkers, Mega Man, these were the soundtracks to my early life, and to this day I still listen to the Final Fantasy, Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Bros soundtracks today on my iPod from time to time. So when I heard a few years back that live orchestra concerts that played video game music were being organized, I just crossed my fingers and wished that one would come to Philadelphia. I had tickets to Video Games Live in Philly back in 2005, but the show was unceremoniously cancelled and I didn’t find out until the day of the show. I was disappointed, but I knew that I would get another chance. My time finally came last night, October 11, 2009. Video Games Live hit Philadelphia and I wasn’t going to miss it for anything.

                I approached the show with excitement laced with skepticism, because I had heard from a few people online that it was disappointing and overrated. I can gladly say the moment I took my seat and heard the orchestra start to play, the smile that came across my face wouldn’t wear off for the entire show. Of all the concerts I’ve seen in my time, the voice in the back of my head told me this was the one I had waited the longest part of my lifetime to see. I had gotten to see the video game-themed metal band Powerglove last year, but even their gaming-infused music paled in comparison to the experience that was Video Games Live.

The show started out with a compilation of music from older arcade games including Punch-Out, Gauntlet, and Contra among others and as it continued, the audience was treated to a musical “best-of” of some of the gaming industry’s biggest franchises. From the heavy handed themes to Metal Gear Solid, which I will admit had my eyes welling up in emotion and gamer pride, to the lighter hearted music from Sonic the Hedgehog, the show spanned the scope and history of gaming quite well. While the music was originally composed for video games, it still had the universal appeal similar to movie scores or other classical pieces regardless of the context of how the music was created. While the music may mean more to the gamer audience, it can be appreciated by anyone. The show’s host and co-creator, Tommy Tallarico even commented that one of the pieces was his mother’s favorite in the show.

The show proceeded through game themes new and old. The audience was treated to pieces newer franchises like Halo and World of Warcraft and classic games like the Legend of Zelda and Castlevania. There was something for everyone and even game scores I didn’t recognize, such as Civilization IV were so brilliantly performed and orchestrated that there was never a dull moment, even if I had never heard the music before. I was particularly enthused by some of the less currently mainstream choices, such as classic music from Metroid and Mega Man, which I yelled “YEAH!” out loud upon its introduction and was possibly my favorite part of the night. It’s easy to say that last night was the culmination of my 20 years as a video game music enthusiast.

I will say that there were a few things that bothered me personally, but that’s because of my depth of knowledge and experience with video game music. What bothered me first was a longing for more variety in the music from some of the older franchises. For example, The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario both have long history of rich music and several memorable themes across that time but the orchestra just stuck pretty much to the main themes from the original 20+ year old games and it just felt a little limited like they were playing things a little too safe with those franchises. The screen was showing video footage from Super Mario Galaxy, but they weren’t playing any actual music from that game’s incredible soundtrack. I was also disappointed to see that VGL couldn’t secure rights to any SquareEnix footage to accompany some of the excellent Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy music they played. The music was still fantastic, but it took away from the experience to not have the accompanying visuals like they had for all of the other pieces in the show. These issues might not bother someone who isn’t as close to the original material, but as spoiled as I was the whole night it still left me wanting more. Of course, that just means I’ll be back to see what they play next time.

I feared with the rise of licensed music in gaming and the lack of catchy, memorable themes in most new games that the appreciation of video game music would soon die off. However, with the enthusiastic crowd and phenomenal performance from Video Games Live, I’m glad to say it’s now hotter than ever. Even if the music played isn’t exactly new, Video Games Live provides a whole new way to hear and appreciate it. If you’ve been a gamer for the last 10, 15 or 20 years I cannot give this show a stronger recommendation, and be sure to bring your non-gamer friends and family, because they’ll probably have a good time too. I can think of a few people I’m going to talk into coming with me NEXT time!

See you then, Mr. Tallarico!

Simply put, Trick ‘R Treat is the best kept secret of this year, or since the trailer was advertised on the packaging for the DVD release of 300.  Anything you can think of that should be in a Halloween movie, Trick ‘r Treat delivers in spades.  I remember seeing the trailer the day 300 dropped on DVD and immediately becoming impatient for this movie’s release.  Finally, the long wait is over, and I have to say, it’s been worth the wait.  From the movie’s opening scene until the climatic finish the movie sucks you in to a thrill packed rollercoaster ride through 4 interwoven stories.  Adapted from a graphic novel, the story follows the night for 4 groups of people and shows how each person’s story affects the next.  While not the center of the story, you’ll see Sam pop up in each story, the masked mystery from the cover of the DVD.   I only wish they’d fleshed out a story for Sam instead of just leaving him as short, stocky, and mysterious.  For Blu Ray fans, I’ve seen Amazon offering a deal with Trick ‘r Treat and Drag Me To Hell, my favorite horror/thriller released in theaters this year, for $51.98 with free shipping, or pick it the book for about $25.  I strongly urge you to check this movie out and please, SPREAD THE WORD.  9/10

They’re not done yet, but the new forums can be located at http://www.whiteboardmafia.com/board

Hola Amigos, I know it’s been awhile since I rapped at ya.  Flat out, the 10th Annual Gathering of the Juggalos was the shit.  I had some shitty happenings, but overall the trip was insane.  The Don Mega himself, Ice Cube, put it down like no one else I’ve ever seen.  Catch him on tour.  Also, a personal favorite of mine, MC Chris, did an incredible job.  He even turned the Juggalos and got some applause.  Hands down, my absolute favorite memory of this year’s GOTJ was Flashlight Wrestling at 5am on Sunday morning.  It was incredibly personal with less than 100 people in attendance and had live commentary by Violent J, Scott Hall, and Corporal Robinson.  I don’t know what set of Jimmy Snuka but he got in Scott Hall’s face and kept asking him if he wants to take it into the ring and they eventually had to get a few handlers to get him backstage.  Big ups to everyone that made the weekend so memorable.

Some other stuff went on recently like a job shift at work that is in my favor, and I’ve set up my own mini tour.  For ICP’s upcoming BANG POW BOOM tour, I’ll be at 5 dates.  You can catch me in Philly on 10/15, Woopsta the 16th and 17th for Rock N Shock, Detroit Murderous for Hallowicked, Sayreville on 12/4, and Allentown on 12/5.  I’ll also be at the Mastodon/Dethklok show on 11/1 in Philly, and possibly 10/29 in NYC but I haven’t decided yet.

Speaking of Bang Pow Boom, the verdict is in.  This album IS the return of the Dark Carnival.  I’ll start off by saying that I’m still a big fan of The Tempest.  There are a lot of solid jams on that album.  That being said, Bang Pow Boom is INCREDIBLE.  They had me at Intro.  The album starts off incredibly strong and doesn’t stop until the Chop Chop Slide flips your wig, then burns it with the force of a nuclear assault.  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

I’ve started using Twitter more since I got the Twitterfon app for my sleek and sexy iPhone, so hit me up @counterfeitgod.  I’ll add some more later, I do fully intend to keep updating the site.