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    Home Video by Lucy Dacus

    Home Video by Lucy Dacus

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    Album

    This new gift from Dacus, her third album, was built on an interrogation of her coming-of-age years...

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Maddi Zoe (6 KP) rated MANIA by Fall Out Boy in Music

Feb 8, 2018  
MANIA by Fall Out Boy
MANIA by Fall Out Boy
2018 | Indie, Pop, Punk
9
7.9 (20 Ratings)
Album Rating Watch
feet-tapping tunes (1 more)
light and dark
some songs are a bit samey (0 more)
Fresh new sound, still Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy return with their seventh studio album titled 'Mania', which continues to explore their heavy alternative rock sound.

Mania is very similar in sound to Fall Out Boy's previous album from 2015 'American Beauty/American Psycho'. It's a far cry from where they first began with hits such as 'Sugar We're Goin' Down' and 'Dance, Dance'. Although it was classic rock hits such as 'I Don't Care' that brought them out into the spotlight in the first place. But you can clearly see the evolution of their music through each and every album.

They started to turn to heavier rock in their stand out album, 'Save Rock and Roll' in 2013, and continued to explore this style through to their 2015 album. Mania follows again follows this same successful recipe. But it's still fresh, with Pete Wentz describing it as a 'palette cleanse'.

You can tell that Fall Out Boy are passionate about their music. It's taken two years to get this album to a point where they felt happy with the finished product. Patrick Stump and the band started writing the new album during their 2016 tour, and it was originally scheduled for release in September last year. The release was delayed because they felt it was 'too rushed' and they didn't want to give fans something they felt was 'sub-par'.

The lyrics are, as usual, clever and intricate. It is clear that a lot of thought has gone into writing all of these songs. Some songs do again hint towards religion, such as 'Church' and 'Heaven's Gate'. This is becoming a common theme for the band, yet they maintain their heavy ego pop musicality. Fans of the band may also know it is common for the lyrics to sometimes reference other artists or the music industry in general. Anyone with a keen ear will notice the Britney Spears references in 'Young and Menace'.

Stump's voice. It is outstanding. This new album is no different. It is something that makes Fall Out Boy stand out among other bands. It is so crucial, especially in recent years, and Fall Out Boy continue to distance themselves away from bog-standard guitar solos. More often than not they have a bridge that is different to the rest of the song. This gives them more time to show off Stump's incredible and unique voice.

While the album is heavier than the majority of their music, some tracks such as 'Hold Me Tight or Don't', which are a bit lighter, and hint back to their 'old style'. Yet they continue to remain completely fresh. Whilst tracks such as 'Young and Menace' and 'Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea' almost have a dubstep/dance vibe to them.

All ten tracks on the new album are completely different from one another other. There is something for everyone. It is combines the 'old' Fall Out Boy which we first fell in love with and the 'newer, even fresher' Fall Out Boy. It is yet again, another outstanding album from the band.
  
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Gareth von Kallenbach (968 KP) rated Gridiron Gang (2006) in Movies

Aug 14, 2019  
Gridiron Gang (2006)
Gridiron Gang (2006)
2006 | Action, Drama
8
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Often the true mark of cinema, this is the category where you will often find the majority of the award winners. The challenge of combining realistic yet sympathetic characters with gripping stories and emotional themes can be a true challenge, but when it works, this is where Hollywood truly shines.

In his latest film Gridiron Gang Dwayne Johnson, better known as the Rock has an appealing mix of sports action, drama, and comedy on his hands that will not only touch you, but will have you cheering.

The Rock stars as Sean Porter, a former college football star who works in a L.A. Area detention center for juvenile offenders. Saddened by the wasted lives of the young men, Sean looks for them to find an alternative to the life of crime, violence, and early death that so many of his inmates face.

With 75% of offenders likely to become repeat offenders, Sean decides to start a football team with the hope of teaching the young inmates the value of hard work, sacrifice, playing as a team, and duty.

Despite some initial obstacles from the system as well as school leagues hesitant to play against convicted offenders, the team son finds themselves with a full schedule and less than three weeks to go before their first game.

The hard practice and coaching style of Sean wears on the players, but they soon find themselves in their first game against a hardened and proven team which underscores just how much work they have to do.

As pressure mounts from all sides, Sean must find a way to meld his team into a winner and prove that this is a project worth doing and that the young men in his care are not lost causes, but are deserving of a new start.

While much of the film may play out as you would expect with the team coming together to play the big game, what is refreshing about the film is the solid performance of The Rock who shows that he is more than just an action star and is very capable of acting. He mixes his portrayal of Sean with equal amounts toughness and caring, to create what is easily his most mature and well defined character to date.

The supporting cast is good, especially Xzibit as Malcolm Moore, who provides a solid supporting presence to The Rock.

While the film is heavy on football action, it also does not shy away from giving the audience a glimpse of the life that the team comes from and how old rivalries and

hostilities can follow them even when they try to leave them behind with the best of intentions.

The action on the field is first-rate as the game choreography never lets up, and is easily the most accurate portrayal of the sport ever committed to film. You can tell that the cast is playing with heart and passion and not simply going through the motions.

Despite a few predictable moments, Gridiron Gang is a very pleasant surprise that is one of the years most enjoyable and satisfying films.