Alter Bridge III
Alter Bridge has released their third album entitled AB III,One Day Remains and Blackbird. Also check out their live concert DVD, Alter Bridge: Live from Amsterdam. courtesy of Roadrunner Records. Their previous two albums include:

Michael (Elvis) Baskette, who produced Blackbird, the album to which AB III is a follow-up, also produced this album. It is a much more dynamic and progressive album musically and is very dark lyrically; a departure from the optimistic themes on past Alter Bridge records. It is a loose concept album, a first for Alter Bridge, with themes of struggles with faith and believing. It follows an unnamed character who falls away from faith, then struggles through life, and ends with finding a sense of meaning.

Myles Kennedy, lead singer for Alter Bridge, stated that the album "deals with a lot of doubts," and that musically, there are "moments that have that intensity and have that darkness to it." Mark Tremonti said in a later interview, "I think that the album is a reflection of what was going on in our lives and heads at that moment. It's a moody record. Lyrically, our singer Myles Kennedy took it in the direction of his struggles with faith and believing. Not to put words in his mouth, but Myles' father died at a young age and Myles has difficulty believing in anything. There are positive songs on the record as well, but overall the third album has a darker, lyrical tone."

According to a press release posted on Alter Bridge's MySpace page and website, the lyrics on AB III shift away from the themes of "hope and perseverance in the face of adversity" on the first two albums. Kennedy said, "This record is definitely a departure from the last two albums in terms of its subject matter. It touches on the thoughts and emotions of someone who has come to question everything that was once regarded as an absolute truth. It's the realization that everything you once believed in might not exist." The article also states that the album is a concept album about a character "desperately struggling to find their place in a world steeped in doubt and emptiness," but that there are songs that touch on other emotions, such as "Wonderful Life". Kennedy has said that he will be playing more lead guitar on this album. "I'm definitely doing things I haven't done in a long time as a guitar player."

Regarding the recording and mixing of the album,  Kennedy stated, “It was done different from Blackbird in the sense that we didn't have as much time to arrange as a band. You know, the parts had been evolving over quite some time. Mark and I are always writing and stockpiling ideas, but as far as sitting with the band and really fleshing those ideas out, we literally had, I think, about six weeks total to get that going before we started working with our producer. And I think it actually worked out well, because it's a very a spontaneous record, and I think with music – with art in general, sometimes if you over-think something it can have a negative effect. ”

In a recent article, Rolling Stone magazine exclaimed, "AB III will be one of 2010's best rock albums with fourteen Billboard top 10 worthy tracks." Alter Bridge's third album will surely not disappoint fans. Although all the tracks on the new album are amazing, some of my personal favorites are "Isolation", "Ghost of Days Gone By", "Wonderful Life" and "Words Darker Then Their Wings". Help support a band who is about what matters: their music and their fans. Give AB III a listen and go purchase the album.



Members of Alter Bridge:
Myles Kennedy: Lead vocals, Guitar
Mark Tremonti: Lead Guitar, Backing vocals
Brian Marshall: Bass Guitar
Scott Phillips: Drums

Track List:
1. Slip to the Void
2. Isolation
3. Ghost of Days Gone By
4. All Hope is Gone
5. Still Remains
6. Make It Right
7. Wonderful Life
8. I Know It Hurts
9. Show Me A Sign
10. Fallout
11. Breathe Again
12. Coeur d'Alene
13. Life Must Go On
14. Words Darker Then Their Wings

Bonus Tracks:
15. Hope
16. Zero
17. Never Born To Follow
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PlayStation Move

Gaming consoles have long been seen as something only males from the ages of 13 to 30 use to waste away hours of their lives. With the introduction of games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band, the common age and gender for people who play video games has changed. People of all ages, both male and female are now enjoying video games.

Sony Computer Entertainment has released the PlayStation Move, designed exclusively for the PlayStation 3. It uses technology similar to the Nintendo Wii to give players a motion gaming experience. The critical device is what Sony calls the PlayStation Eye. Although the eye camera looks like a tradition web cam, it is far more advanced. The camera can take high res photos, video, and can be used for motion capture. The motion gaming technology is housed in the pairing of the motion controller and eye camera. The sphere ball at the end of the controller allows the eye camera to pinpoint the exact motions you are making. Allowing for better accuracy then previously seen on the Nintendo Wii.



When Sony announced they were creating a motion gaming device similar to the Nintendo Wii controllers, many people knocked the PlayStation Move for being a complete copy. Who cares? Sony has taken Nintendo's technology with the Wii and made it better. Nintendo knew they couldn't compete with Sony and Microsoft's gaming machines graphic wise so they decided to develop a completely different gaming experience. Sony has realized that the Nintendo Wii appeals to a demographic of people that the PS3 does not. Once you experience the PlayStation Move, you'll never look at video games the same again. The Move is in a league of its own.

Now that the PlayStation 3 has the capability of the Nintendo Wii coupled with all the other features that were already available, there is no reason for anyone to ever buy or play a Nintendo Wii again. The Wii is an infantile state of motion gaming technology while the PlayStation Move is the grown, mature adult. The PlayStation 3 boasts HD gaming and the capability for 3D gaming as well. Other features include a BluRay player and an the ability to use it as a fully functioning computer for Internet browsing or watching streaming Netflix movies. The Wii has none of these features.

PlayStation Move redefines motion gaming with the most immersive and realistic gaming experience only possible on the PlayStation 3 system. The simple, easy-to-use controller captures a full range of motion giving you ultimate control over how you play the game. With a diverse selection of games and new ones launching all the time, you can enjoy hours of fun with friends and family.
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Salt
Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) is a CIA agent and highly respected by all, including her boss, Ted Winter. Out of the blue, a Russian spy walks into their offices and offers a vital piece of information: the President of Russia will be assassinated during his forthcoming visit to New York City to attend the funeral of the recently deceased U.S. Vice President. The name of the assassin: Evelyn Salt. Concerned about the safety of her husband, who she cannot contact, she goes on the run. Winter refuses to accept that she is a mole or a double agent but her actions begin to raise doubts. Just who is Evelyn Salt and what is she planning?

As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy. Salt goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture. Salt's efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives, as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues and the question remains: "Who is Salt?"

I didn't expect much from this film considering the poor quality of Angelina Jolie's latest movies, but I was pleasantly surprised. The story had me guessing the entire time as to the true identity of Evelyn Salt. As soon as I thought I'd figured out who she was working for, her actions would prove other wise. Is she working for the CIA, the KGB, or herself? The plot is solid and takes you on a thrilling roller coaster ride of suspense. The ending left me thinking two things: "Who is Salt?" and "I hope there's a sequel."

Grade: B
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Slash
One of the great rock legends, Slash, former guitarist of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver, released a new solo album simply titled "Slash". What's unique about this solo album is that it is a compilation album of songs featuring the music industries most popular and best vocalists. Songs included on this album feature vocalists such as Ozzy Osbourne, Myles Kennedy, Chris Cornell, Kid Rock, and Fergie. Slash will be touring with vocalist Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge during the summer of 2010 to promote his new album.

This is one album of 2010 you won't want to miss having in your music collection.
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Toy Story 3
In the third and final installment of the Toy Story trilogy, Andy is preparing to leave home and move to college. This leaves his old toys wondering what their future holds. Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) knew that this day would come eventually, but now that the moment has arrived they must prepare the other toys for their journey to a new place.

Once again a mix up occurs at the beginning of the movie and Andy's toys find themselves on their way to a daycare named Sunnyside. When they arrive at their new home, the gang meets a line up of new toys including: Ken (Michael Keaton) and a lovable, pink bear named Lotso. The daycare seems like paradise to Andy's toys. The kids here never grow up, they just keep getting replaced by new little kids. However, once the kids arrive for play time all their ideas of paradise go right out the window sparking Woody to devise a plan to escape and return to Andy one final time. It's a prison break from Sunnyside Toy Story style.



Toy Story 3 keeps the same look and style as the first two; however, the graphics and animation have improved a lot. The first Toy Story film was Pixar's first major motion picture. Since then the technology for animated films has increased exponentially and you'll definitely notice it when watching this movie.

Even with the new toys added to the story, the witty banter between characters remains and the voices for all previous characters remains unchanged as well. Having Woody or Buzz voiced by someone other then Tom Hanks and Tim Allen would have ruined the movie. My new favorite character is Ken, not just because he looks a lot like me minus the hair color, but because he has this unspoken coolness and arrogance about him that often leads him to make funny statements or make a fool of himself. Although Ken appears to have everything under control, his world is turned upside down when he meets his first ever Barbie doll. It's love at first sight. And for the rest of film, the other toys can't keep Ken and Barbie off each other, which makes for some great comedic moments.



This is a must see for Summer 2010. A film all ages can enjoy that will leave you laughing, crying, and on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

Grade: A+
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Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, the sequel to Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, is a game title you must experience. The story picks up a couple years after the end of the first game where we find Drake on a new adventure. Without giving to much of the story away, the game begins as Drake is summoned by an old friend to help him steal a valued artifact from a museum. Through a series of events, Drake finds himself on a quest to stop a madman from acquiring the Chintamani Stone before its too late.

Many improvements have been made since the first game. This time around real actors performed all the actions in this game while delivering the lines, so when playing the game the actions of the virtual characters seem real and believable. Once you begin the game, you never have to load giving you seamless transitions between chapters in the story. Short cut scenes engage during game play and then after a few seconds let you regain control. This may sound annoying but the cut scenes make the game feel more like a movie then a video game.

In most games, the camera is always behind your character giving you a bird's eye view of the area. While playing Uncharted 2, Drake may jump up to grab a ledge and as he goes to pull himself up the camera angle will change. This is constantly happening as you proceed through the game so you never have to worry about failing a stage because the camera angle got messed up and you couldn't see what was going on. The game developers really took the time to make sure the vantage point was always correct so you could focus on enjoying the game experience.

Even more improvements from the first game have been made besides the improved cinematic camera angles. Rather then hiding behind an object and attempting to take out bad guys, there are now a variety of new ways to take out enemies. The hand-to-hand combat sequences end in a cinematic slow-mo shot as Drake punches or kicks the enemy combatant for the last time knocking him out or killing him. Hand-to-hand combat is also an effective way of sneaking up on targets. It is more difficult than shooting enemies with a variety of weapons available, but it's more rewarding. If you perform the maneuver correctly you can take out many of the enemies without alerting the others patrolling the area.

 Gun battles are common occurrences

The dialogue in Uncharted 2 is spectacular. Drake's sarcastic humor and banter with various characters throughout the story, including an ex girlfriend who plays the role of his side kick for part of the story, makes the game more enjoyable. The dialogue is real rather then feeling scripted. Each character has a distinct way of talking and interacting with other characters which makes their interactions seem more natural and not some pre-programmed conversation.

The dramatic camera angles add to the intensity of certain situations

This game isn't all about shooting enemies and blowing up stuff. Many parts of the story require you to figure out clues or puzzles in order to advance the story. Climbing objects and scaling walls are common practices in Uncharted 2. Sometimes the game can become frustrating because it's difficult to spot a tiny rock ledge that will allow you to proceed to the next area. Many places only allow you to proceed by one means necessary so it can make things difficult. This challenging aspect does make the game more difficult in some parts but ultimately more enjoyable in the end.

One aspect that remains the same from the first game is the outstanding music score. Greg Edmonson returns to deliver the music score for Uncharted 2 and it does not disappoint. I enjoyed listening to the epic music as I played the game so much I actually decided to buy the soundtrack on iTunes. Uncharted 2 has better music then many movies.

 Breathtaking environments add to the realism

It's impossible to talk about Uncharted 2 without mentioning its visuals. You can tell the game developers really went out of their way to design the characters and environments. The game is packed with graphic detail that has nothing to do with whats going on in the story but draws you into the world making you feel like its a real place. This is easily one of the best games I've ever played and that's saying something with the company it shares (Metal Gear Solid 4, Killzone 2, COD: Modern Warfare 2). It's no wonder Uncharted 2: Among Thieves won game of the year in 2010.

Rating: 10 out of 10 (Perfect)
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Iron Man 2
Six months after the end of the first movie, Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) has used his Iron Man armor to bring about a negotiated peace treaty between the major super powers of the world, and his immense popularity with the general public is only furthered when he fulfills his father's dream by opening the "Stark Expo", to showcase all the latest inventions that will benefit the world.  All is not well in Stark's life, however: he has discovered that the palladium in the arc reactor keeping his heart beating has begun to poison his body, slowly killing him, and all attempts to find a substitute element have failed. Slowly going off the rails as a consequence of what he believes to be his impending death, he appoints his former personal assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) CEO of Stark Industries.

While racing in Monaco, Stark is attacked by Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), who has constructed a miniaturized arc reactor of his own, including whip-like attachments harnessing the electrical energy. Defeating Vanko with the aid of his Mark V armor (a transforming briefcase), Stark discovers that Vanko is the son of disgraced Russian physicist Anton Vanko, who collaborated on the first arc reactor with Stark's father Howard (John Slattery). Vanko is promptly broken out of jail by a revenge-seeking Justin Hammer, who puts him to work fashioning a line of "Iron Drones" that he will use to upstage Stark at his own Expo.



The action sequences are pretty similar to the first movie with lots of explosions and righteous butt-kicking. My favorite part of the sequel was the witty banter constantly occurring between characters. Tony Stark's sarcastic and cocky attitude keeps the film entertaining even when he isn't flying around and saving the world. One of the best movies to hit theaters in the month of May.

Grade: A-
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