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  • Purgatory - Purgatory (2018)

    If you're reading this review, you probably know that Purgatory was the band that preceded heavy metal icons Iced Earth. Thirty years after Iced Earth came to life, the original members of Purgatory got back together and recorded five songs from the band's early demos that would also influence several Iced Earth tracks. The trio of Jon Schaffer on lead and rhythm guitars as well as backing vocals, Bill Owen on lead guitars and Gene Adam on vocals was supported by other former Iced Earth collaborators with Jim Morris on additional lead guitars, Ruben Drake on bass guitar and Mark Prator on drums. This extended play was recorded without any commercial ambitions and made for fun. One can sense the liberating energy of performing without any expectations on this release even though some of the grit of the early years is gone.

    The five songs are performed with all the skills the involved musicians possess and the guitar work varying between melodic mid-tempo passages and fierce up-tempo riffs is quite charismatic. The performance that needs to be pointed out though is Gene Adam's energetic vocals. He is often overlooked in Iced Earth's career and his vocals were indeed fairly limited in the early years but he sounds really potent on this record. He hits high notes reminding me of King Diamond, powerful lower registers in the key of Judas Priest and even includes atmospheric whispers here and there. He should really be singing in a more regular band with such unexpected skills.

    Speaking of atmospheric whispers, the greatest asset of this release is the gloomy, mysterious and ominous atmosphere of the different tracks about horror franchises and stories. The sinister yet detailed cover artwork represents the band's spirit perfectly. This is the perfect record to close your eyes, dream yourself far away and discover a most entertaining world of terror.

    If you like traditional heavy metal with horror film atmosphere, you should definitely listen to Purgatory's extended play. Even though the songs are three decades old, the timeless song material has aged well, is performed skillfully and oozes with atmosphere. Despite the fact that the trio hasn't performed together for a very long time, the three musicians have better chemistry than ever before. The liberating passion while performing these five songs has replaced the energetic grit of the early years. The songs are the same but the attitude has changed appropriately and one might somehow prefer the more experienced approach to the material nowadays over the wild spirit of yore. This more mature attitude makes the song material sound even more diversified, fluid and precise than ever before. Purgatory's self-titled extended play is a very pleasant surprise and better than most Iced Earth material of recent memory. Let's hope the band revisits other forgotten pearls in the near future and continues to bring the eighties back to life in a timeless manner.

    Final rating: 90%

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  • Singwa hamkke: Ingwa yeon / Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days (2018)

    Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days is the sequel to Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds and a vast improvement over the first part that suffered from a chaotic story line, exaggerated special effects and shallow characters. This sequel gives the characters involved more depth by telling their moving background stories that are all cleverly interwoven. The plot is more structured despite numerous flashbacks and side stories and leaves no questions unanswered at the end. The special effects are still present but used with precision, intellect and care this time around.

    There are only a few minor elements to criticize. The movie is slightly overlong with a length of one hundred forty-two minutes. The film could have been shortened by at least fifteen minutes or so in the middle section. Another problem is that the film tries to be a tearjerker and while several scenes are genuinely moving, the last third of the film feels overtly melancholic. It's so intense towards the end that it almost becomes a parody.

    Still, the character development, detailed plot and better use of special effects make this blockbuster a vast improvement over the first part. If you haven't watched the first movie however, you won't fully understand what's going on in this one. If one puts the two movies together as a complete piece of art, it's a decent to very good blockbuster comparable to contemporary Hollywood cinema with its breathtaking effects but at times shallow stories.

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  • North by Northwest (1959)

    North by Northwest, which has horrible translations to French with La mort aux trousses and German with Der unsichtbare Dritte, is one of Alfred Hitchcock's greatest movies. This vivid action-thriller and spy epic has influenced franchises like James Bond and many others. Despite a certain nostalgic charm regarding clothes, lifestyles and settings, the movie has aged quite well and is still very entertaining sixty years after its initial release and beyond.

    The story revolves around a charming advertising executive who is mistaken for a secret agent, kidnapped, poisoned and left for dead. He survives by chance but nobody seems to believe his story and he is instead charged with driving under the influence. The ambitious young man desires to clear his name and starts investigating. Soon enough, he is in the middle of a dangerous conflict between a shady businessman and his associates and the real government agents he has been mistaken for. Along with a mysterious woman who befriends and helps him on a train ride, he travels northwest through the United States of America to figure out what he has been involved with.

    North by Northwest convinces on numerous levels. The story is twisted, mysterious and dynamic as it will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The iconic action sequences have stood the test of time and are still breathtaking to watch. The unforgettable locations are chosen with care, intellect and precision. The camera work is very precise and still an example to follow by contemporary standards. The acting performances are charismatic and especially the lead character is truly unique.

    There are only two minor elements that need to be criticized. The female lead character feels somewhat superficial as she almost instantly falls in love with a perfect stranger despite her pivotal role in the story. Another thing that bothered me was the abrupt ending which could have been a little bit more fluid without overstaying its welcome.

    Still, North by Northwest is a movie you should watch at least once in your lifetime if you like crime films in general and spy movies in particular.

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  • Der Staatsanwalt: Tödlich Wohnen (2019)

    Tödlich Wohnen, the first episode of the fourteenth season of German television series Der Staatsanwalt is one of the best crime flicks in recent memory. If compared to similar series, this episode of ninety minutes convinces with an elevated body count, vivid pace and genuine tension that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

    The story revolves around a shady real estate project involving a greedy businesswoman, a shady Russian diplomat, deadly efficient hitmen, a courageous but naive journalist, a guilt-ridden notary and an arrogant real estate shark. The lead prosecutor and a team of young investigators try to figure out how to solve a killing spree that connects all these characters and the ambitious real estate project.

    If you like sympathetic characters with depth, tense crime flicks with clever story lines and thrillers that are a little bit more deadly, intellectual and sinister than the average, you should give this television series a chance in general and try out this convincing episode in particular.

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