So with this year ever so slowly drawing to an end I thought I would give my top 7 for the year 2008. Why not you ask well there’s still a few months left and a few bands might have albums due out very soon which I slipped my mind while writing this piece.

With 2007 being a bad year for new music with the only real album I can rate being Linkin Park’s Minuets To Midnight I am glad to say 2008 has been a year for the veterans and those who have a good standing within the music industry to bring out some brilliant albums.

We shall do this in the usual countdown fashion.

7. Disturbed - Indestructible

The Chicago, Illinois based metal band released Indestructible to follow from their awesome 2005 album Ten Thousand Fists. This is a sold album by a band that seems to constantly brings a high level of quality to all of their albums.  The track to definitely look out for with this album is Inside The Fire which is one of the best tracks off the album.

6. Soil and Pimp Sessions - Planet Pimp

The Japanese self proclaimed Death Jazz group came back this year will the album Pimp Planet only at 12 months since their last album was released. These guys to have a quick turn around date for their albums, either they work hard or just had a lot of left up tracks to make another album. Either way if you are a fan of their past work you wont be disappointed which tracks such as GO NEXT and STORM being the best tracks off the album and also the best tracks to break new fans into this style of music.

5. 36 Crazyfists - The Tide and Its Takers

After some delays with the production of the album 36 Crazyfits released their 4th album The Tide and Its Takers this April. After in my eyes a disappointing third album which did hold a few good tracks have now fully got back on the beaten track to release a good old heavy metal album a lot of like their first two outing. Vocally Brock Lindow has gone back to more screaming and less melodies which sadly was the reverse of what happened on their last album but it seems the has got the balance perfectly right this time, along with some brilliant and catchy guitar riffs its definitely and album to buy if you like you metal. The outstanding tracks from this album have to be We Gave It Hell, Absent Are The Saints and All Night Lights.

4. Slipknot - All Hope Is Gone

Luckily for us all hope is not gone with Slipknot releasing their 4th album this year after almost 4 years without a new album and rumours that they wouldn’t make another album the Iowa nontuplet metal band are back with a heavier, rawer and more eclectic album that seems to just have the right balance. Top track off the album has to be Psychosocial which has a nice catchy guitar riff and awesome sounds drums along with Corey’s screaming vocals it makes for the perfect slipknot song.

3. Weezer - Weezer (The Red Album)

The original nerd band Weezer are back after 2005’s Make Believe album with a simple yet very addictive album which see them going back to their older style of song making which I for one love seeing as their best two albums are the self titled Blue Album and Pinerkton which for some reason didn’t have any commercial success yet its  contains some of their best work, but back to the new album. With tracks like Pork and Beans and Troublemaker which was very simple song but have a great beat and lyrics you can instantly pick up this comes in at number 3 to show these guys still have it after 14 years of making music.

2. The Offspring - Rise,Fall,Rage and Grace

What can I say its The Offspring as many of my friends know this is my favourite band of all time which may make some of you wonder why I haven’t put it at number but one but that shall be explained later. The Offspring have been around now for almost a quarter of a decade and have released yet another album which is stunningly brilliant. In my eyes they are one of the most underrated bands of all time. The Offspring have defined a genre of modern day punk and skater punk music which has inspired so many bands. The only other modern day punk band which can come close to them is Green Day. Every track on this album is brilliant and memorable like every other album they have made, the top tracks have to be Trust In You, You’re Gonna Go Far Kid and Half Truism. For the first time we see a couple of acoustic tracks on this album which probably shows how they are maturing seeing as they all in their 40’s now which isa good thing as anyone who has listened to the acoustic version of Dirty Magic can understand why they should make more acoustic music. This is a fun album and it very addictive.

1. Metallica - Death Magnetic

Its the album everyone had been waiting for and now its finally here. Metallica’s Death Magnetic is an album that has helped Metallica make a huge comeback with their best album in the last 10/12 years since the Black Album. Metallica with the help of Rick Rubin who is one of the greatest producers of all time who helped the likes of Johnny Cash along with many other artist to breath life into their dying careers. With tracks like That Was Just Your Life and The Day That Never Comes its takes you back to when Metallica were at the height of their success and this album is 99% there in recreating that feeling and sound. Even though I love The Offspring more than Metallica the fact they have been able to create such a great album that has that true old school thrash metal feel to it has to be the reason for its number one slot. Its just a shame that it has fallen to the feet of the loudness war.

After the first release in 2007 and the huge success it gained parts 4,5 and 6 are now out in the second part of this really good film.

Whilst browsing Digg today I found this piece of political satire which I feel I must share with you all

This isnt something I would normally report on but being a geek a heart I thought I should.

The greatest media player VLC has finally been released after 2 years in development with lots of great updates.

If your like me and pirate like a pirate argh! You want a media player that will play almost every format out there without needed to downloading endless amounts of codec packs.

So after having our favourite TV shows cut short earlier this year due to the writers strike the fall season is now upon us with some of my favourite shows making their long awaited return.

We have The Shield returning for its final season, this is one of the best shows on TV at the moment and that has come from the US is a long while. Pure grit which is something for an American TV show.

Along with The Shield we have House M.D, Bones, How I Met Your Mother, Robot Chicken, Lewis Black Root Of All Evil, Prison Break and Pen and Tellers Bullshit.

Looks like I have a few busy months of watching some awesome TV.

Death Magnetic is the newest album from Metallica, its been 5 years since their last album which was the terrible St Anger which failed in most peoples eyes. It now seems Metallica are back on top form making one of their best albums since Kill Em All and The Black album. The album is filled with guitar shredding riffs and insane drumming along with epic track lengths and awesome solos which is what Metallica are known for. It theres one metal album you have to buy this year its Death Magnetic.

Here is a simple piece I made as part of a task set by a 3D company I am applying for. After looking at some samples of their work and choosing a theme I have now made this image. The idea is it would be for a Circus based game. I must give credit to Emily for putting the name ‘Clowning Around’ in my head.

The Strangers due for a UK release August 29th. Starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman.

After returning from a wedding reception, a couple staying in an isolated vacation house receive a knock on the door in the mid-hours of the night. What ensues is a violent invasion by three strangers, their faces hidden behind masks. The couple find themselves in a violent struggle, in which they go beyond what either of them thought capable in order to survive.

This film is by no far a horror classic but it does stand out from the crowd from most modern day horrors that just try and scare us with over the top gore. This film has a few predictable moments but overall is a strong horror film which hasnt been given a fair review by critics even though most people seem to actaully like the film (it goes to show critics are far from right). If your looking for a good horror film that will make you jump that dosnt involve mass mutilation then go and see this film.

I would give it a 3½ out 5.

I was just on Kevin Roses blog and saw a post about a band called Ratatat. At first I thought it would be some default indie filler which seems to be everywhere these days, but to my surprise Ratatat are a really good band. From what ive heard so far it seems all their music is instrumental which is good. They are classed as Electronic, Alternative (what is classed as alternative these days) and post-rock.

Their latest album is called LP3 as its their third LP.

Definitely check them out. A good song to listen too would be ‘Seventeen Years’

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratatat

Ive finally finished modelling wall-e and I am happy with the lighting and render setup.

Now begins the process of unwrapping and texture creation.