There are few movies that have moved me as much as Hotel Mumbai. Based upon true events, it shows how Pakistani Islamist terrorists attack numerous locations in the Indian metropolis of Mumbai. The showdown takes places in the prestigious Taj Mahal Palace Hotel where personnel and guests fight for survival.

The film offers a short and concise introduction that gives us an idea how the terrorists proceed to attack as many places as possible to assassinate as many victims as they could. We are also introduced to numerous characters that will end up in the hotel from a rich family over escaping backpackers to a dedicated server from a poor neighbourhood. The events in the hotel start taking place about thirty minutes into the film and the following ninety minutes are filled with incredible tension, brutal acts of violence and an oppressive atmosphere of despair. The film only slows down in the final few minutes that offer a brief tearjerking conclusion. Once the credits roll, the audience will be shook and speechless.

This movie is a statement against terror by showing how incredibly devastating such acts are. In its intensity, it reminds of Roman Polanski's The Pianist which portrays the horrors of the Holocaust best. Hotel Mumbai is so brutal, intense and thrilling that it shouldn't be watched by children or teenagers but only by adults with a very strong stomach. Despite the obvious violence, the movie is equally emotional and intellectual. The audience empathizes with the desperate victims. The conclusion leads us to think that no other species in the world does as much harm to its own kind than human beings do to one another. The only way to stop such horrible actions is through peaceful education. Ironically, this honest movie contributes to such peaceful education by exposing such sickening degrees of violence. In order to understand the devil, you have to look into his eyes.

Violent Cop is the first directorial work of comedian and television host Takeshi Kitano. He wasn't even supposed to do this job but when the initially hired director pulled out of the project due to scheduling conflicts, Takeshi Kitano took over and rewrote large parts of the script in the process. People must have been surprised when this film was initially released because it has nothing to do with Takeshi Kitano's quirky, funny and entertaining shows throughout the seventies and eighties. Violent Cop does its title justice and is brutal, cynical and nihilistic. It is often compared to the Dirty Harry franchise but while the titular hero of the American franchise is able to keep his cool, Takeshi Kitano's main character is unstable, unpredictable and pitiless.

Takeshi Kitano plays brutal veteran detective Azuma who doesn't show much respect for his superiors, colleagues and rookies. He treats criminals the way they would actually treat their victims. The opening sequence is quite revealing in that regard as the detective follows the leader of a group of teenagers who beat up a helpless old man and proceeds to beat him up in his parents' house. The only person this detective seems to care about is his fragile sister who spent time at a hospital to treat a head injury. Once we are introduced to the detective's life, the actual plot unfolds. The detective discovers that his partner is involved in drug trafficking but before he can conduct further investigations, his partner is found hanged under a bridge. Azuma understands that the suicide had been staged and tries to track down the boss of the drug trafficking ring by any means necessary.

The cinematography of this movie is very experimental and foreshadows Takeshi Kitano's later works. The movie has few dialogues and especially the main character prefers to use his fists before asking any questions. The movie features long moments of silence and static camera work before they are interrupted by hectic sequences and brutal acts of violence. The movie is quite brutal indeed and the body count rises quicker and quicker as the film progresses. Innocent bystanders get killed, a helpless homeless man gets beaten to pulp and even a pitiful woman gets executed. The film's conclusion is particularly cynical and nihilistic but offers an unexpected twist and some food for thought.

Fans of Japanese V-cinema and enthusiasts for brutal yakuza movies will adore Violent Cop. It has an intriguing atmosphere, unusual characters and lots of violence. Despite its cynical, nihilistic and pitiless attitude, the movie is never shallow and actually offers some food for thought. The film has aged quite well and shows the dark side of Japan's society.

Anthem is the second greatest Japanese heavy metal band right after the legendary Loudness that I would consider being pioneers on the same level as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Saxon. The band's run of seven records from the mid-eighties to the early nineties was quite impressive and the band even got some minor international recognition. The quartet split up for eight years in the nineties, reunited with the beginning of the new millennium and has lived up to expectations in its home country. However, the international market had forgotten about the band and the release of Nucleus is the band's attempt at conquering fans around the world. Saber Tiger have attempted a similar move with a greatest hits release four years ago that has been completely overlooked and even though Anthem cooperates with renowned label Nuclear Blast for this release, it would be a surprise if Nucleus really turned out to be a success story.

Nucleus consists of twelve tracks from the band's most recent albums since the reunion that were recorded again for this occasion and a new version of classic speed metal anthem ''Venom Strike'' which is the only song from the quartet's early years. As much as I appreciate Anthem's early records and wish the band well, Nucleus is an overall unimpressive record. The song material isn't bad but simply stated heavy metal by the numbers that fails to leave a mark. The charismatic high-pitched vocals of yore have withered with age and been replaced by a lower register with some irritating effects on it. The bass guitar play that was particularly domineering and energetic in the early years is rather restrained and unimpressive on this release. The guitar play has become a little bit slower even though it is still technically appealing. The pace of the drums has also slightly diminished. The band members are obviously in their late fifties and early sixties and it's unfair to reproach them to have slowed down. But this album sounds like an old-fashioned release offered by old musicians who haven't changed their ways over the past three decades. This album comes at least a quarter of a century too late to impress anyone but faithful fans of the band and enthusiasts of traditional heavy metal music of the eighties.

There are more positive examples for genre veterans who still play heavy metal but also manage to sound refreshing, inspired and energetic to remain relevant. Saber Tiger's greatest hits release featured minor progressive and doom metal elements that showed the band's nuanced soundscapes. Loudness' latest effort that also attempts to gain international success is filled with a balanced mixture of youthful energy and cool vibes. Even a Western band like Judas Priest has just released its greatest record in several decades thanks to a crisp sound, concise songwriting and a few fresh ideas. Anthem's Nucleus doesn't have any of these elements.

In the end, the additional live record on this record's special edition might be Nucleus' most intriguing aspect but then again, this live record doesn't beat the phenomenal Last Anthem that showed the band leaving on a very high note in the early nineties. Anthem's Nucleus offers solid but ultimately unspectacular traditional heavy metal that will only appeal to fans of old age. It just won't happen that a teenager or young adult will listen to this album and be blown away by it. I would rather recommend the outstanding boxed set 30th Anniversary of Nexus Years Limited Collector's Box that includes the group's very good to excellent first seven records, an extraordinary live record and some bonus material.

Final rating: 65%

Eluveitie is a folk metal band that has had its ups and down and experiments in the early stages of its career. The horrendous debut extended play Vên with its unbalanced genre mixture and terrible production was followed by the much smoother and more structured full length effort Spirit. Slania was the band's breakthrough record with a perfect mixture of folk instruments, inspired lyrics and uplifting melodies on one side and energetic guitar riffs and harsh vocals on the other side. The band then released a lukewarm acoustic record in form of Evocation I - The Arcane Dominion just to show its other side in form of the aggressive Everything Remains as It Never Was with its domineering death and thrash metal influences. 

While the band's early years were lacking balance, the Swiss collective found stability earlier this decade as it went back to the formula of Slania on Helvetios and Origins. Despite numerous line-up changes that almost destroyed the band three years ago and another forgettable if slightly improved acoustic record, Ategnatos also follows the path of Slania more than a decade ago. This record isn't bad but it is simply stated Slania 4.0. If you expected something new due to the numerous new musicians that joined the band three years earlier, you've got it all wrong. This is an Eluveitie signature release, no more, no less.

Objectively speaking, the record should appeal to fans of this band. The uplifting folk melodies in ''Ambiramus'' are still beautiful and the harsher tunes like ''Threefold Death'' are scarcely used and therefore quite efficient. The record finds the perfect balance between calmer melodic tunes and more energetic raw tracks. The songs however fail to leave a deeper impression and can't compete with the memorable material on Slania eleven years earlier. This release is missing the spark of creativity.

In the end, Ategnatos is a solid genre release that can be descried as routine job that fails to leave a deeper impression. I'll pass this release and would only recommend it to particularly faithful fans of the band and folk metal enthusiasts.

Final rating: 70%

It's this time of the year again!

As I have mentioned earlier, my favourite teams haven't qualified for the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. My favourite team in the Western Conference, the Arizona Coyotes, have however had the best season since 2012-2013 and I admired the team's resilience despite numerous injured players. The team was actually quite close to make the playoffs and only missed it by four points. This team has never given up, the veterans have shown great leadership and the young guns have been clawing and scratching. The future looks bright. Once the team makes the playoffs, I'm planning on traveling there and attending a few home games.

Anyway, here are my predictions for the Western Conference playoffs.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Calgary Flames (1st in Pacific Division) vs. Colorado Avalance (2nd Western Conference wild card)

This series isn't as easy to predict as it seems. The Calgary Flames have had some goaltending issues. Mike Smith isn't as great as he used to be seven to five years ago and David Rittich is rather a good average back-up goaltender. The question is whether the Flames' offense is strong enough to score more goals than its average defense and at times poor goaltenders concede. As for the Colorado Avalanche, they have had an overall underwhelming season but managed to make the playoffs thanks to an impressive late season push with eight victories in the last eleven games. The team has momentum and its offensive qualities shouldn't be underestimated. I could imagine Colorado create a big surprise in this tight series.

Prediction: Colorado in seven games.

Nashville Predators (1st in Central Division) vs. Dallas Stars (1st Western Conference wild card)

The Nashville Predators have been playing great hockey over the past few years and their window for a Stanley Cup win is still open as we speak. The team has one of the greatest starting goaltenders and one of the best back-up goaltenders. Their defense might be the strongest in the entire league. The attacking players aren't as spectacular but still above average. Dallas has had a season with ups and downs and only the team's sharp offense can compete with Nashville. The Predators are simply the more complete team.

Prediction: Nashville in five games.

Winnipeg Jets (2nd in Central Division) vs. St. Louis Blues (3rd in Central Division)

The Winnipeg Jets have some of the league's most impressive offensive players and even though some of them had draughts throughout the season, one must expect these players to be ready for the playoffs. The St. Louis Blues have had a horrible beginning of the season but somehow managed to improve and make the playoffs thanks to an outstanding rookie goaltender. That won't be enough to compete with the strong Winnipeg Jets.

Prediction: Winnipeg in six games.

San Jose Sharks (2nd in Pacific Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (3rd in Pacific Division)

I expected the San Jose Sharks to be a contender for winning the Western Conference with a team consisting of outstanding veterans and the addition of star defender Erik Karlsson before the season. However, the team's performances haven't quite lived up to the potential. The Vegas Golden Knights have also had an average start of the season but managed to improve step by step and have added an outstanding leader with Mark Stone before the trade deadline. Even though the Sharks have more experience, I believe the Golden Knights have a tighter team spirit. This is why I believe them to beat the San Jose Sharks again like last year.

Prediction: Vegas in six games.