Culture Shock

Omega Crom: Blood Steel & Fire By: Brad Denbow

Ok, so I got this email a while back about a band I’d never heard of called Omega Crom. Their cover art, as you can see, immediately captured my attention and I thought, “I wonder if they’ll send me one of their disks?” Not even a week later the CD was on my desk and begging to be heard.

I gave the album a thorough listening and decided on one thing: they sound like a juvenile 3 Inches of Blood. Now, don’t get me wrong, I liked what I heard, it’s just that with the style of music and even the cover art, it seemed to me like they are just shadowing their fellow Vancouverian counterparts. Everything from the high-pitched wails (that are admittedly weak in comparison) to the lyrics and fast-paced harmonies just screamed to me, “We are not called 3 Inches of Blood, but we want to sound just like them.” That aside, I think the album a great first effort for a basically self-produced band, and it deserves a listen.

Storm Front By: Jim Butcher By: Alex Murray

Jim Butcher is a man with a skill set that has no place in the twenty-first century. Most of the things he does to entertain himself fell out of popularity over two hundred years ago. I don’t know how or why that is affecting his writing as it does, but the man can put out a well crafted book twice a year. So no matter what you won’t have to wait for the next one ever. In this case, Mr. Butcher started a series set in the urban sprawl of Chicago and added fantastical and faerie elements until you have a cross-genre, hard boiled detective novel/epic fantasy adventure with a hilarious main character: Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden.

Between getting his ass handed to him on every second page, Harry hunts down rogue wizards and saves the unsuspecting normal people that crowd his daily life. It’s almost as if you put Harry Potter in an adult world; throw in some death and grittier characters and you would have about half of what this book is. Storm Front has so many sub-plots and characters you may have to get out a whiteboard just to keep track of everything that is going on; the people trying to kill Harry alone number in the dozens, each with a fun/different reason that really makes this book what it is. The complexities are all tied up in the end, however, and no, Harry doesn’t get the girl, the respect or even a decent pay cheque to keep him eating anything except Ramen noodles until the next book.

Banana Nut Coffee By: Johnson Apetagon

It was warm and quite tasty as the liquid ran to the back of my throat. I don’t know about anyone else but the new flavour of banana and nuts in my mouth was a fun new treat for my senses! Sure the usual bitter flavor was still there, but that is naturally expected. Quite refreshing really, that Forbidden Flavours has introduced a fun new flavour of the day (on Thursday March 18, 2010): Banana Nut Coffee! I must say that this flavour has reminded me why I am thankful (once again) that Forbidden Flavours replaced the old coffee shop (even though I do miss the subs.)

This coffee really has the beautiful aroma of bananas and nuts that were a nice replacement to the French Vanilla flavor that is often available. However, what I often find differs between flavored coffees and regular brews is when the slight mishap happens when coffee goes into the nasal cavity, burns. Then of course does sting when it goes further up and into my eye. It, needless to say, burns.

So in closing, Forbidden Flavors Banana Nut Coffee, good in the mouth, not so much elsewhere! Hopefully everyone has had the chance to enjoy this cup of awesomeness while it was available!