Iron Maiden’s ‘A Matter of Life and Death’ is Better Than I Remembered | Album Review
During the horrifying year of 2020, I turned to heavy metal and rock ‘n’ roll to cure my anger at the world; it was better than yelling at the TV. Once I started my CD collection, I knew that I needed an Iron Maiden album, so I headed for the Book Off at Pearlridge. I… Continue Reading →
‘Grease’ Doesn’t Make Sense! | DVD Review
The first time I saw Grease (1978), I was around eight or nine years-old (I don’t remember the details, but I was pretty young). I was young enough to be scared of the animated theme song that played in the beginning of the movie. Thanks to The Wiggles and their horrible animated films/clips, I developed… Continue Reading →
Iron Maiden Made a Comeback with ‘Brave New World’ | Album Review
The year 2000 saw new releases like AC/DC’s Stiff Upper Lip (2000), Bon Jovi’s Crush (2000), Backstreet Boys’ Black & Blue (2000), and Iron Maiden’s Brave New World (2000). The latter marked the return of vocalist Bruce Dickinson (he left in 1993) and guitarist Adrian Smith (he left in 1990). Brave New World is also… Continue Reading →
Def Leppard is a Different Animal on ‘Volume Two’ | Box Set Review
Formed in 1977 in Sheffield, England, Def Leppard had high hopes to make it big. Though their first album On Through the Night (1980) didn’t do much for them, their second album, High ‘n’ Dry (1981), set the band up for what was to come in the near future; thanks to producer Mutt Lange, they… Continue Reading →
Iron Maiden’s ‘Somewhere in Time’ is Mostly Filled with Awesomeness | Album Review
From Piece of Mind (1983), we’re going to flash forward to 1986. It was another great year for new music with Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet, Metallica’s Master of Puppets, Van Halen’s 5150, Megadeth’s Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying?, Queen’s A Kind of Magic, and Iron Maiden’s Somewhere in Time. The latter was the second Iron… Continue Reading →
Songs with the Same Title – Van Halen Edition
Last time I took on Slayer for my Songs with the Same Title series, now we’re moving onto Van Halen and I am pumped! Not that I’m a huge Van Halen fan, but a few of these songs listed are from my childhood and it’s always fun taking a trip down memory lane. I’ll be… Continue Reading →
10 Songs That Put Me in a Good Mood
Have you ever had those moments where you’re in a bad mood and you need something to cheer you up? Well, that’s what this post is about! I’ve picked 10 of my favorite songs that always put a smile on my face whenever I’m in a bad mood. If you’ve been following my blog for… Continue Reading →
Iron Maiden’s ‘Piece of Mind’ is Overhyped! | Album Review
Goodbye Clive Burr, hello Nicko McBrian! After tackling The Number of the Beast (1982), we are moving onto Piece of Mind (1983), the first with McBrain on drums. Man, 1983 was a good year for new music; there was Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All (1983), The Police’s Synchronicity (1983), Dio’s Holy Diver (1983), AC/DC’s Flick of… Continue Reading →
Thoughts on My Last Semester of College
Final grades for the University of Hawaii at Manoa were posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, which means I am officially a college graduate for the class of spring 2021! How does it feel? I don’t feel that different, to be honest. Could it be because I didn’t participate in my university’s hybrid commencement ceremony?… Continue Reading →
Iron Maiden Soared to Greatness on ‘The Number of the Beast’ | Album Review
If you haven’t read my review for Iron Maiden’s last studio album with Paul Di’Anno, Killers (1981), feel free to check that out! For now, we are moving onto the band’s next album and it’s a big one, The Number of the Beast (1982); it marks the first album with vocalist Bruce Dickinson and the… Continue Reading →
My Top 10 Richie Sambora Songs
Disclaimer: I’m sorry if I offend any Jon Bon Jovi fans throughout this post, as these are strictly my opinions and Richie Sambora was the reason why I got into Bon Jovi in the first place. Richie Sambora hit it big when he became the guitarist for Bon Jovi. From 1983 to 2013, Sambora helped… Continue Reading →
Iron Maiden Avoided the Sophomore Slump with ‘Killers’ | Album Review
If you haven’t read my review for Iron Maiden’s debut album, feel free to check it out! For now, we are moving onto the band’s second album, Killers (1981). It marked the first album with guitarist Adrian Smith, who replaced Dennis Stratton, and the last with vocalist Paul Di’Anno. Killers was also the first Maiden… Continue Reading →
Songs with the Same Title – Slayer Edition
We’re back with another edition to the Songs with the Same Title series, and this time, we’re covering the thrash metal band known as Slayer. Last time when I took on Thin Lizzy, I said that I’d be interested in checking out more Slayer songs, so this is the perfect opportunity to do so. Once… Continue Reading →
Iron Maiden’s Debut Album Showed the Band’s Potential | Album Review
I’m not doing an entire series where I review Iron Maiden’s studio albums because I don’t have all of them, but I have some of them, so might as well review what I have, right? First up is Iron Maiden’s self-titled debut album, which was released in 1980. The record store I bought the debut… Continue Reading →
My Big ‘Degrassi’ Rant – Everything the Show Did Wrong
Next to Full House, Degrassi is my second favorite show of all time! And when I say Degrassi, I mean Degrassi: The Next Generation with Paige Michalchuk, Spinner Mason, J.T. Yorke, Eli Godsworthy, and Clare Edwards. From 2001 to 2015, the show centered around teenagers as they navigate their way through life. They covered a… Continue Reading →
Dio’s ‘Lock Up the Wolves’ is Pretty Bada**! | Album Review
We are finally down to the last album in the first five Dio album review series, Lock Up the Wolves (1990). The album saw a dramatic change in the line-up including Rowan Robertson on guitar, Jens Johansson on keyboards, Teddy Cook on bass, and Simon Wright (the name sounds familiar) on drums. If you haven’t… Continue Reading →
10 Underrated Songs From Bands I Like
This is a follow-up to my previous post titled, 10 Overplayed Songs From Bands I Like, so if you haven’t already, go check it out! Instead of talking about the overrated songs, this post will focus on the underrated songs from bands I like. As a warning, not all of the bands from the previous… Continue Reading →
Dio’s ‘Dream Evil’ Lacks Consistency! | Album Review
And just like that, we’re onto album number four! If you haven’t read my review for Sacred Heart, feel free to check it out. The next album on the agenda is Dream Evil (1987). It was the last record to feature Vinny Appice on drums until Strange Highways (1993), the last to feature Jimmy Bain… Continue Reading →
What If Drew Seeley Was Troy in the ‘High School Musical’ Franchise?
Disclaimer: I am not trying to offend Zac Efron or Drew Seeley in this post. I just always wondered what could’ve been, and I love both actors dearly. I don’t want to assume everyone knows High School Musical (2006), but if you were a kid growing up in the 2000s, you might’ve at least heard of… Continue Reading →
Dio’s ‘Sacred Heart’ is a Beast! | Album Review
Wow, these Dio album reviews are going by fast because we’re already on album number three. If you haven’t read my review for The Last in Line, feel free to check it out. For now, we’re moving onto Sacred Heart (1985), the last Dio album to feature Vivian Campbell on guitar. First things first, I’m… Continue Reading →
My Dream Setlist for Def Leppard
One of my favorite YouTube channels at the moment, Sea of Tranquility, did a series throughout the month of March where they created dream setlists for their favorite bands. They didn’t do one for Def Leppard unfortunately, and around the same time, I came across this article from Ultimate Classic Rock from 2011 titled, “Def… Continue Reading →
Dio’s ‘The Last in Line’ Gave Me Mixed Feelings | Album Review
If you haven’t read my review for Holy Diver, go check it out! The next album on the agenda is The Last in Line (1984). I only listened to it once when I was reading other blog posts and I liked it for the most part, but will my feelings change when I take the… Continue Reading →
Ranking All of Roger Taylor’s Songs He Sang in Queen
Roger Taylor, best known as the drummer for Queen, has an unbelievable singing voice. He talks like an angel and sings like a lion; that’s how I would describe it. His songs don’t get enough appreciation, so for this post, I’ll be ranking all of Taylor’s songs he sang lead vocals for in Queen. I’ve… Continue Reading →
Dio’s ‘Holy Diver’ is an Aggressive Album with 80s Production | Album Review
Now that I’ve finished my AC/DC album review series, it’s time to kick off the first five Dio album review series. If you haven’t seen my post on Dio’s 5 Classic Albums box set, I bought it in February 2021 after hearing Sea of Tranquility, a music youtube channel, talk about how good Holy Diver… Continue Reading →
Songs with the Same Title – Thin Lizzy Edition
We’re back with another post for the Songs with the Same Title series. If you haven’t seen my last post, where I tackled Judas Priest, go check it out! The next band on the agenda is Thin Lizzy. I’ve wanted to do this post for a while, thanks to a specific AC/DC song, and we are finally doing… Continue Reading →
Ranking All of AC/DC’s (International) Studio Albums
Now that I’ve reviewed all of AC/DC’s international studio albums, it’s time to rank them all! Which ones do I like and which ones do I dislike? If you haven’t checked out my AC/DC reviews, I will link them all down below, including the DVD/Blu-ray reviews. As a warning, I’ve changed my thoughts on some… Continue Reading →
Def Leppard’s ‘London to Vegas’ is Kind of Worth It! | Box Set Review
I got into Def Leppard during the summer of 2019 (for the millionth time I’ve mentioned on this blog). If I had gotten into them by January 2019 at least, I would’ve paid big bucks to see their Vegas Residency at the Zappos Theatre in Planet Hollywood that year. In all honesty, I could’ve bought… Continue Reading →
AC/DC Overcame Tragedy and Delivered with ‘Back in Black’ | Album Review
I previously reviewed AC/DC’s Highway to Hell (1979) album, so if you haven’t already, go check it out! For now, we are shifting focus to the last record I’ll be covering in the AC/DC album review series, Back in Black (1980). The reason why it’s the last in the series is because I already reviewed… Continue Reading →
10 Overplayed Songs From Bands I Like
The title is a nicer way of saying I like the bands, but I never want to hear these songs ever again. In some cases, I don’t even want to buy the corresponding albums because I hate these songs so much. The worst part is that these bands play the hits religiously at their shows… Continue Reading →
I Was Terrified of AC/DC’s ‘Highway to Hell,’ But Now I Love It! | Album Review
I went out of order with my AC/DC album reviews, so I already reviewed Powerage (1978) back in June 2020. Feel free to check out that review and see how far I’ve come with my AC/DC knowledge, haha. The next album on the agenda is Highway to Hell (1979), an album that is the most nostalgic for me. Well,… Continue Reading →
Dio’s ‘5 Classic Albums’ is a Good Start for New Fans! | Box Set Review
I’m no expert on the band Dio. I know that Ronnie James Dio was the lead singer and Vivian Campbell, from Def Leppard, was the lead guitarist at one point, but that’s about it. I wouldn’t even consider myself a Dio fan. So, why did I buy this set if I’m not a Dio fan?… Continue Reading →
AC/DC’s ‘Let There Be Rock’ is a Solid Rock Record! | Album Review
If you haven’t read my review for AC/DC’s Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976), go check it out! We are moving on with Let There Be Rock (1977), a classic AC/DC record that fans love! We know the boys love it because most of their setlist comes from that album (and Back in Black (1980)). Right of the bat, the cover… Continue Reading →
Is “Bohemian Rhapsody” Queen’s Best Song?
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) was playing on TV a few weeks ago, so I thought, “why not talk about Queen”? After all, this band got me into rock music and opened my eyes to bands such as AC/DC, Def Leppard, Scorpions, Boston, and Black Sabbath. Though I don’t listen to Queen as much as I did two… Continue Reading →
AC/DC’s ‘Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap’ Has Grown on Me! | Album Review
My goal for the Spring semester is to finish reviewing all of AC/DC’s international studio album releases. So I’m hoping to cover all of their albums by mid to late March. I reviewed High Voltage (1976) already, so if you haven’t already, go check it out! The next album on the list is Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976)…. Continue Reading →
AC/DC’s ‘Power Up’ is For Mal! | Album Review
Travel back to the Rock or Bust era. Phil Rudd had to face his demons and couldn’t participate in the tour; Brian Johnson had to step out during the fifth leg of the tour or risk hearing loss, and Cliff Williams decided that he had enough. By that point, the only members left were Angus Young and… Continue Reading →
Confessions of a One Direction Fangirl
Before any of you click away, being a One Direction fangirl isn’t always rainbows and sunshine; mentally, it has messed me up pretty badly. Like most of my YouTube addictions, I watched interviews and performances of theirs whenever I had the chance. However, I was also comparing myself to the band members’ girlfriends. Not that… Continue Reading →
AC/DC’s ‘Stiff Upper Lip Live’ is F**king Awesome! | DVD Review
In May/June of 2020, I was randomly scrolling through YouTube when a concert called “AC/DC Stiff Upper Lip Live” popped into my feed. I thought, “what the heck, I’ll give it a shot!” And that concert changed my life, or at least how I feel about AC/DC. I had a few of their songs on… Continue Reading →
My Top Ten Def Leppard Songs
I previously wrote a post titled, My Top Five Def Leppard Songs I Can’t Live Without in December 2019, but that was early in my Def Leppard obsession. I’ve always wanted to write an updated list of my top five Def Leppard songs because a lot can happen in a year, but I never got around to… Continue Reading →
AC/DC Are Not Messing Around on ‘No Bull’! | Blu-ray Review
It was the summer of 2020, and my obsession with AC/DC was at its peak! I’ve watched enough live footage to know that they are one kick*** live band. I made up my mind that I wanted to buy a concert release, but I had no idea which one to get; I got torn between No… Continue Reading →
Dear Disneyland…
Dear Disneyland: I’ve only visited the happiest place on earth five times in my youth, but I consider Disneyland to be my home and sacred place. I fell in love with Disney when I was five years old after being granted a wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation to go to Disney World. The characters and… Continue Reading →
AC/DC Fought Hard and Gave Us ‘Rock or Bust’ | Album Review
Now we get to the sad album, the last AC/DC album released before former rhythm guitarist and founding member Malcolm Young passed away on November 18, 2017. Rock or Bust (2014) is the band’s 16th (15th internationally released) studio album. What’s interesting about this album is that it’s the first to feature Mal and Angus’ nephew, Stevie… Continue Reading →
AC/DC’s ‘Black Ice’ Lacks Originality, But it Has the Heart! | Album Review
Moving on from Stiff Upper Lip (2000), today, I’ll be focusing on Black Ice (2008). It is the band’s 15th (14th internationally released) studio album. Black Ice‘s development got stalled due to bassist Cliff Williams recovering from a hand injury and AC/DC changing record labels. Not only is it the band’s longest gap between studio albums (eight years), but it… Continue Reading →
Songs with the Same Title – Judas Priest Edition
We’re back with another edition to the Songs with the Same Title series! I previously covered rock band Kiss, and now we’re shifting focus to the heavy metal band; Judas Priest. If you’re new to the series, there will be six rounds, and I’ll pick my preferred song from each one. In the end, I’ll choose the winner… Continue Reading →
AC/DC’s ‘Stiff Upper Lip’ is a Banger! | Album Review
For my last AC/DC review, I gave my thoughts on Ballbreaker (1995), now I’ll be looking at Stiff Upper Lip (2000). I bought the Stiff Upper Lip album in June/July; it’s all a blur now. The point is, we’re here, and I’m ready to share my thoughts on the band’s 14th (13th internationally released) studio album. “Stiff Upper Lip” started the… Continue Reading →
Five Disney Channel Original Movie Songs That Rock
Disney Channel Original Movies (DCOMs) were huge for me, not so much now! But everything from Camp Rock, High School Musical, Lemonade Mouth, and Stuck in the Suburbs, those films were my childhood. Some of the movies were cheesy as heck, but they came with great songs. Most of them were pop songs, but they had some rock moments… Continue Reading →
Songs with the Same Title – Kiss Edition
Happy new year, everyone! How about we do another band for the Songs with the Same Title series to kick off the new year? The next act I will cover in the series will be Kiss. Unlike Bon Jovi, it was harder to find Kiss songs with the same title as other artists’ songs, so I had to… Continue Reading →
Reflections on the Year 2020
First of all, I know I had a collage for last year’s post reflecting on 2019, but I didn’t do that for 2020 because I didn’t do much other than write on my blog, watch a lot of YouTube, and listen to bands such as Def Leppard, AC/DC, Metallica, and Iron Maiden. So nothing special, to be… Continue Reading →
Thank Goodness AC/DC Brought Back Phil Rudd for ‘Ballbreaker’! | Album Review
AC/DC was “back in business,” thanks to the success of 1990s The Razors Edge, which contains “Moneytalks” and “Thunderstruck.” It was their first (and only) studio album with drummer Chris Slade; though, he wouldn’t last long as fate would have it that the boys would reunite with former drummer Phil Rudd, who left some big shoes… Continue Reading →
‘AC/DC Live’ is Pretty Great! | Album Review
This past Friday, while helping my mom do some last-minute Christmas shopping, I went to the Book Off at Pearlridge, hoping that I’d find at least one new AC/DC album to add to my collection. It wasn’t The Razors Edge (1990), but it was something better, AC/DC Live: 2 CD Collector’s Edition (1992). As you’ve read on my previous AC/DC… Continue Reading →
My Favorite Songs – Fall 2020
My last exam is this Wednesday, so I thought now would be the perfect time to wrap up Fall 2020 and talk about my favorite songs from that time since I had so much fun making My Favorite Songs – Summer 2020 post. I tried to diversify this list by including more songs by different artists, but… Continue Reading →
