People have always told me that I have expensive tastes, the truth is, I’d rather pay more for something that I know is better quality and will last me for a long time than to keep dishing out money for cheap, throwaway things. Which is why when I was in the market for some earbuds to use for my laptop whilst I’m at school, I was pretty lax on how much I was spending so long as what I was getting was going to last, and whilst the headphone market seems completely saturated with overpriced IEM’s and headphones that’ll break within a few months of ownership, when it came to my needs the choice was fairly obvious. With a helping of both brand familiarity and loyalty, I settled on a pair of Razer Hammerhead V2’s. The choice was easy for me, not just because I own and use quite a few Razer Products myself, but because I had also owned a pair of the original Hammerhead’s a few years ago. So, how does the second generation Hammerheads compare to the old ones? The biggest difference between these new Hammerheads versus the old ones is build material, the old ones were almost entirely aluminum, from the earpieces, to 3.5mm connector, it was almost all aluminum with the only plastic piece being the in-line controls, with the new generation, only the earpieces themselves are aluminum, with Razer opting instead for a high quality plastic for the rest of the build. Whilst I can criticize Razer for switching to plastic instead of sticking with metal, the change is understandable, as the old, all metal Hammerheads were quite heavy, and caused quite a bit of pressure on the ears. The earplug arrangement is back with the standard: small, medium, large earplugs as is standard (Although some companies like Monster have more recently chosen for five sizes of earplugs, which I personally enjoy more), but also returning as standard is Razer’s “Dual-flange” earplugs that are essentially two half-height, medium sized earplugs merged into one, Razer claims that these provide better noise isolation when using them, and to be honest, they work pretty well. A gripe I’ve always had with the dual-flange design is that while they work fairly well, Razer only makes them in a medium size, meaning that people like myself who use larger tips cannot enjoy the better sound-isolation of the dual-flange tips. I’d like for Razer to include the dual-flange tips in all three sizes as for people of all ear sizes to enjoy them. The cable has also been changed form a standard round cable, to a flat, tangle-proof cable that lives up to its name quite well. It’s easy to manage, and whilst it does tend to get snagged a bit more on clothing and other objects, its unwillingness to tangle, even after being shoved in a pocket or other small space makes it a lovely IEM for everyday use. Finally, and most importantly is the Hammerhead’s sound quality; the previous generation Hammerhead’s where known to be bass heavy monsters that compromised on mids and highs in order to provide a more “Gamer-y” sound meant to amplify gunshots, explosions, and other gaming related sounds, and that same sound spread is back for the second generation. Now, I mainly use the Hammerhead’s for music and media consumption, and whilst my taste in music lends itself towards the Hammerhead’s bass heaviness, with artists like Noisia, Former, Mefjus and other Drum & Bass artists having their drops sound more impactful and energetic with the added bass, for other types of media such as YouTube videos and anime, you can definitely notice the lack of mids and highs as some dialogue sounds either mildly tinny or somewhat muffled, whilst it’s subtle it is noticeable and if you’re a fan of flatter response curves you’ll probably want to stay clear and look for something else. As for gaming performance, Razer is right when saying that this is definitely where the Hammerheads belong, after playing a few rounds of PUBG as well as trying them out in Planetside 2, the Hammerheads perform almost as well as some normal gaming headsets around this price range. Footsteps are easily distinguishable and position, crucial for games like CS:GO and PUBG. Gunshots and explosions sound clear and poppy, but have their levels kept in check as to not deafen you when you fire, and as for voice chat, the inline microphone is “not bad” at best, but you’re better off using an external mic for anything other than some VOIP chatting or phone calls. In conclusion, the new Hammerhead’s are a good iteration on the old design, whilst I would still enjoy an all metal construction as well as a slightly flatter response curve, I can understand Razer’s choices with the Hammerhead’s. They certainly not for everyone, but those wanting studio grade quality and a completely flat response curve are likely to look elsewhere, and spend a lot more for their needs. For me, the Hammerheads are an excellent pair of IEMs and if you want something you can use for gaming without having to lug around large headphones, the Hammerheads just might be for you.
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I’ll admit, Pop Punk was a genre that I looked at and thought “Sounds good, not my style though”. I always saw pop punk as just another form of pop, much to my mistake. Neck Deep’s music just has so much energy to it that when I first heard one of their songs, I was immediately hooked. I remember singing along to almost every song on “Life’s Not Out to Get You” and further more to the two new singles “Happy Judgement Day” and “Where Do We Go When We Go” which previewed their new album “The Peace and the Panic”. Now that the album is out, and I’ve been rocking it for the past few weeks, and I want to share my thoughts on this new bit of punk from Neck Deep. The opening song “Motion Sickness” is a song that I didn’t pay too much attention to when I first heard it, but it slowly grew on me. From the opening guitar riffs to the energetic lyrics that blend the views of existentialism: “Sat on the kitchen floor, all alone, talking to a ghost about where we go, when we go” with a happier tone of living life: “Oh my friend, Just look how far come and, think twice before you go, and throw, it all, away”. The song is just full of energy and brings a massive smile to my face whenever listen to it. “Happy Judgement Day” is one of the more political songs on the album. It’s a song that discusses the current state of today’s world. It approaches the issues with a characterful sarcasm that suits the song really well, and the lyrics are witty and purposeful, such as my favourite line from the song: “Building walls, and dropping bombs, stop the world, I’m getting off!” The song is one you can admire for its heavy guitars and playful singing, but also for its lyrics and message. “The Grand Delusion” keeps up the energy from the previous track, but instead of being political, The Grand Delusion takes more of a classic punk sound. The song’s thrashing guitars and energetic singing from Ben make for a song that’s fun and memorable. I’m a bit torn up about “Parachute”. It skirts the line between punk and pop in a way that I’m not quite sure works entirely well. Mind you, the song is energetic and fun to listen to, but I can tell if the band wants it to be a pop, or a punk song. The lyrics are light and bouncy like a pop song, but the instruments are heavy and energetic like a punk song. If I had to pick a “low-point” on the album, it would probably be this song, but that being said, Parachute is still a great song, and doesn’t really detract from the rest of the album in any way. My favourite song of this album has to be “In Bloom” it has this amazing beauty to the instruments that I’d never expect from a punk band. The opening of the song, with its soft guitar layered over the distorted vocal sample about the aftermath of a nuclear attack. If you listen closely, you can hear the sample go on about how the atomic bomb is “an awesome technological paradox”, these nuances combined with the meaning behind the lyrics, that of persevering through hard times, and leaving past events behind all for an outcome bigger than oneself, makes In Bloom one of the best songs I’ve had the pleasure of listening to. I even want group it in with songs like “In Between” by Linkin Park, “26” by Paramore, and “Outside In” by Circle of Dust; songs with a certain emotional power behind them, songs that have way more emotion behind the lyrics than would expect, songs that I hold in very high regard for this reason. “Don’t Wait” is by far the heaviest song on The Peace and the Panic, to the point where we even hear some metal-like screaming in the lyrics as well; it also happens to be quite a political song as well. The song is about the systematic corruption and deception perpetrated by the media and modern governments, and how the general populous is supposedly oblivious and ignorant to this corruption. It’s a song that urges the listeners to rise against these actions and to take matters in their own hands. “Critical Mistakes” is apologetically more pop than punk, and that’s ok. The song is light, bouncy, and fun. It’s a song that you just want to sing along to and just enjoy. To the acoustic guitars, the playful riffs, and catchy lyrics, it’s one of those songs that just make you feel good, and make you want to smile when you hear it. “Wish You Were Here” is the calmest song on this album, and provides a nice contrast to the upbeat that fill the album. It’s no December, but it’s a song that’s still filled with emotion. One thing that’s sets this song apart from some of the other “slow” songs by Neck Deep is that although the instrumentals are that of a softer, acoustic song, Ben’s singing sounds like he still has the rest of the band behind him, with raspier signing and strained verses. This makes song seem faster or more energetic than it is, and gives the song a tone that fits quite well with the rest of the songs on the album. “Heavy Lies” is upbeat, fun, yet at the same time heavy song, a real banger, and perhaps one of the catchiest songs on the album in terms of lyrics. The song is giddy, bouncy, yet it still retains Neck Deep’s heaviness and style. One thing I’ve noticed how much more enjoyable the songs on this album, unlike Life’s Not Out to Get You, which had heavier songs with more emotional lyrics to them, this album seems to be more focused around easier listening, the songs on this album sounds like more passion was put into the making of album, and the band had a lot of fun writing the songs, and it really shows in songs like these. “19 Seventy Sumthin’” Is less of a song and more of a story with some electric guitars behind it. It’s a lovely story of the creation of a family. How a boy and girl meet, fall in love, get married, raise a family, until the climax where the (grand)father ultimately (Spoiler Alert!) dies of a heart attack, and the children, in a display of family kinship and compassion, comfort the mother, ending on the lyric “’Cause that’s what family does.” This song hits you in a way you don’t expect. If you end up listening to the song, the end will emotionally hit you, you might even shed a tear or too because of it. It’s such a relatable song that almost anyone can and will make a connection with it, which makes the song that much more powerful and meaningful. The final track on The Peace and the Panic is “Where Do We Go When We Go” It’s a song that deals with the mystery of life after death, but at the same time wanting to live life to the fullest before death happens. I love the opening of the song, and how it’s a play on the popular “Rain, Rain, Go away” rhyme. The song isn’t as climactic as some other album closer’s, but neither was the closer for Life’s Not Out to Get You. Where Do We Go When We Go is still an excellent song, it’s exciting, fun, has excellent song-writing, and makes for a fitting end to the album. The Peace and the Panic is a more lighthearted album than Life’s Not Out to Get You, it’s an album filled with fun songs that you just can’t help but belt out and sing along to, even in its heaviest moments. It’s an album that’s meant to stand on its own, it’s to trying to be an album filled with passion and brimming with emotion, but it’s an album that’s meant to be exciting, rowdy, energetic, and fun, an album that, in my mind, captures the essence of Pop Punk and what make it great.
Every decade has its own unique set of cultural influences and effects on society. From the popular music of the time, to the scientific advances that paved the way for future endeavors, each decade has left its mark on toady’s life, none of which are perhaps as easily recognizable of the previous decade. This post will explore the cultural aspects of the previous decade, how society, and its influences have shaped the world as we know it today, and how the legacies of the 2000’s have led to the world we have today. The Media is what shapes a society and its culture, and in the early 2000’s, media was growing at a rapid pace. With the internet on the rise, information was growing at a rapid pace. Even though it was still in its infancy, the internet allowed for a rapid sharing of information as well as broadened communication horizons. The internet also allowed for something never seen before: The rise of eSports. As multiplayer video games such as Counter-Strike, Quake, Halo, and the original DOTA were on the rise, early tournaments began to pop up, and gaming conventions such as Dreamhack allowed for numerous spectators to watch their favourite teams battle it out. The internet also allowed for information to be easily shared to the world, revolutionizing research and communication. It meant that students no longer had to resort to long library sessions and searching through endless amounts of books for information, they could now spend an hour or so online in order to do the research needed. The music and film industries also began to take advantage of the internet and its growing popularity. Early streaming services such as Napster and later SoundCloud allowed for an easier platform for music distribution, as well as giving rise to a number of smaller artists, allowing them to reach a larger audience than before, and video streaming sites such as YouTube allowed for a large spreading of amateur videos, as well as providing an outlet for larger companies to advertise on. The music of the decade allowed for the rise of many one-hit wonders in popular music, as well as a gradual shift of these genres. In the early days of the decade, the popular music was centralized around pop-punk and pop-rock genres, with artists such as Sum 41 and The All-American Rejects making a name for themselves through their energetic style and lyrics that resonated with most teens of the time. However, the popular genre eventually began shifting to songs with a more electronic influence, with artists such as Katy Perry beginning to dominate the charts, but the full scope of electronic music wouldn’t be recognized, at least by the mainstream media, until well into the following decade. Movies also saw major advancements during the 2000’s, mainly in the swift progression and adoption of CGI effects, as well as fully computer animated movies, as pioneered by Pixar and Disney. These, along with much newer approaches in storytelling, helped shaped many of today’s stories and cultural views. The mindset going into the 2000’s was hopeful and full of idealism. People believed they were moving into the future, as they were entering a new millennium, and with it, a new era of prosperity and wealth, and although that may have been true for the early parts of the decade, by the end, people’s ideas were brought down to reality, but in the harder times near the end of the decade, emerged something else. A sense of resilience that would last into the next decade, a mindset of perseverance and determination which would give way to some of the most important advancements of the present day both in science and culture.
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About Me:Welcome to my blog! Here you'll find various articles about all sorts of topics. Politics, Music, Video Games, eSports, and many other topics I feel the need to write about. Archives
February 2018
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