April 27, 2008

03 Gamma Ray, Portal

MUSIC A little update on my last post: I got a hold of three of Gamma Ray's best albums and I was convinced to go to the concert by a friend. I'm not gonna bitch about the prices anymore :) I'm happy with general admission tickets (the farthest from the stage), I am still gonna enjoy the hell out of that concert.
A second update: The concert was better than I imagined it. Paid for general admission tickets but got to the VIP zone, thanks to Gamma Ray's Kai Hansen. A vid of the moment when he invited us to the front is goddamn unavailable as of yet, I'll just keep looking. Helloween was no less impressive. Both gave excellent performances.

I'll also attend Megadeth's gig, although most likely be paying for general tickets. Will I get to VIP this time...? Unlikely.


Great albums I've discovered recently: Lions Share - Emotional Coma, Brand New Sin - Brand New Sin, Gamma Ray - Heading for Tomorrow.

GAMES Even though it was way too short, I was awestruck during and after playing Valve's Portal. You can say I've seen the light after watching the ending; it was everything people had said. If you want me to spoil you the experience, click here.

April 20, 2008

02 Helloween, Jericho

MUSIC I'm almost decided on passing up april 30's Helloween/Gamma Ray concert here in Lima, Peru. The opportunity is unique, the music is one that I enjoy very much. My problem is, I fear, monetary. The ticket prices were barely bordering on the reasonable, but since the date of the show is approaching, the prices have gone up... I don't know if it sounds rational to someone out there. Does it only happen here, where greedy businessmen try to cover their butts charging the normal ticket price for the first month, only to increase it the folowing days, to finally charge more than 50% more than the original price the day of the show?
It reminds me of the time I almost saw Rhapsody (now called Rhapsody of Fire), but I didn't since they only had the opening slot (which probably meant a 1-hour maximum stage time), and the headliner was Manowar -which I tolerate, not enjoy-, and since Manowar is a "big name" band, they were charging $60+ for a ticket. I was furious, basically because I would've paid 60 bucks to see Rhapsody, but I would be paying Manowar to see Rhapsody play for an hour, which didn't make sense to me. Rhapsody Of Fire by themselves wouldn't have charged more than $30 anyway.

Anyway, I don't care because Megadeth, Capitán Memo and Joe Satriani are coming!

GAMES Deeply disappointed by Codemaster's Clive Barker's Jericho. I don't remember a recent game so ludicrous and incongruent in plot, game mechanics, and overall "fun" factor. It all went downward as you progressed through the game, until it gave you the most unsatisfying ending of all: the "rolling credits" ending... stupid. Barker is a great writer in my opinion -his Books of Blood can give the creeps to anyone- but this was a letdown compared to his other videogame venture, Undying (goddamn underrated).

More musings soon.
-Art