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The King of all Blogs. sign my guestbook message board IM me hit me up with an email cd reviews buds: al bill ed jen mike richard sam steve teams: ny giants ny rangers ny yankees psu photos: jay's fotolog jay's pics jenibabe's fotolog mcfresh's fotolog mik's fotolog murph's fotolog psu pics slavin's fotolog fun stuff: chappelle's show conan o'brien donnie baseball ghost cam lego porn transformers trek bikes weird nj games: nintendo playsite snood text twist bands: a perfect circle beastie boys black sabbath dimmu borgir god forbid iced earth in flames iron maiden judas priest opeth otc outkast ozzy osbourne shadows fall slayer tool zakk wylde music-related: 89.5 wsou nj 90.7 the lion wkps 93.3 wmmr philly blabbermouth bravewords concerts east crowbar infinity 1 KNAC.com metalbite metal review metal rules metal sludge the prp 4th and one records info: bwi cnn daily collegian daily record espn h-town imdb the trib History: 
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Thursday, January 27, 2005
Well it turns out I was only half right with my NFL Playoff Predictions last week, the Falcons predictably let me down against the Eagles ... as my dad said, enough about Mike Vick being an elite quarterback until he can actually figure out how to play the position .... as for the Patriots, they came up big against the Steelers (sorry Rick), setting up a somewhat interesting Super Bowl matchup. I think we all know New England will destroy the Iggles, but unfortunately I have to listen to two weeks of non-stop hype, it's usually bad enough without the added bonus of idiotic Philly fans being in the mix.
If the Birds should somehow pull off an upset, though, it could push me to the edge of suicide. It would be my own personal worst year in sports. Think about it: improbable championships by my two most hated teams (Red Sox and Eagles); biggest collapse in sports history by the Yankees; Giants and Penn State football both god-awful; Rangers' hockey season non-existant. Plus I'm not much of a hoops fan but in most western civilizations, being forced to watch the two teams I follow (Knicks and PSU) could be considered human rights violations. Anyway, back to the gridiron ... I was a pretty decent 7-3 against the spread in this year's playoff picks, equaling last year's mark. Picking outright winners I was also 7-3, taking a little dive from last season's phenomenal 9-1 record, but that was a year to remember. Soon I'll have my Super Bowl Synopsis ... hopefully I'll have some improvement, I believe I am 0-2 in my last two SB picks, including picking Rich Gannon as MVP. Oops. Saturday, January 22, 2005
I'm coming to you live from the Daily Record newsroom in Parsippany, N.J., where I'm basically stranded. Thanks to the major Northeastern snowstorm we're experiencing, it looks like I'll be spending the night at the Days Inn since I have to work tomorrow. Sweet!!!!!!!
Anyway, time for some NFL Playoff picks ... Patriots (-3) over STEELERS Yes, No. 1 seed Pittsburgh was 15-1 in the regular season and is playing at home, but they're still the underdog here. That's because they are playing the uncanny Pats, who are seemingly unbeatable come playoff time. I like the Stillers - they have a good team that actually resembles New England in some ways (led by a tough defense and smart young QB who doesn't make many mistakes) ... however, I can't go against the defending champs, especially when they just beat up the "unstoppable" Colts. Expect a good one ... Patriots 17, Steelers 10 Falcons (+5) over EAGLES Earlier this week, Iggles QB Donovan McNabb said there's no pressure on his team as it enters its fourth straight NFC title game, and that all the pressure is on Atlanta. Nice try bud, but I don't think so. The pressure is squarely on McNabb's shoulders, and if his team doesn't get it done this year they probably never will. The Falcons aren't exactly a great passing team, so luckily the weather conditions at The Linc will force them to rely on their strength, which is running the ball. They won't have as easy a time as they did against the Rams (over 300 total rushing yards), but the Eagles can be run on. Also, Atlanta has an underrated defense that will pressure McNabb, and he won't have someone reliable like T.O. to help him out. Sure Freddie Mitchell had a great game last week against the lame Vikings, but let's not go crazy - it's still Freddie Mitchell. Maybe I'm biased because I would love to see some Philly heartbreak, but I believe Michael Vick and Co. can pull it off. Falcons 20, Eagles 17 Monday, January 17, 2005
Well I was a pretty solid 3-1 against the spread this weekend in the second round of the NFL playoffs, bringing my overall record ATS to 6-2. Not bad at all. Let's take a look back...
First, the Jets (+9) did falter 20-17 in overtime against the Steelers as I predicted after K Doug Brien missed not one but two potential game-winners. He really shouldn't be blamed though, and shame on the Stillers fans who were reportedly heckling him via a message board on his personal website, no need for that. They were tough kicks, both over 40 yards in the swirling winds of Heinz Field, where a kick over 50 yards has yet to be made. The blame falls squarely on the Jets' coaching staff, which settled too easily for a tough kick rather than "playing to win the game" as coach Herm Edwards has been known to say. Herm had to look no farther than Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer's similar mistakes in the waning moments of their game a week earlier, but instead Gang Green had to learn the hard way about what it takes to win the big one. Pittsburgh lucked out though, they survived Big Ben Roethlisberger's worst game yet. I hit the nail on the head taking the Falcons (-7) over the Rams. They basically had this one wrapped up from the get-go and went on to destroy St. Louis by 30 points. Atlanta didn't even have to pass much as it rolled up over 300 yards rushing (take note, Philadelphia run defense) against Mike Martz's helpless squad. Marc Bulger was sacked four times (take note, Philadelphia offensive line) and the Falcons did make a statement: bring on the Eagles. As for the Iggles (-8.5), they came through for me against the Vikings, 27-14. Is Mike Tice a bad coach or what? Sorry, but that botched fake field goal (where Randy Moss got confused and walked onto the sidelines, plus they had 12 men on the field) was an absolute disaster and could have been a crucial turn of momentum. What a joke Minnesota is. Anyway, Philly looked pretty good most of the way (props to Jeremiah Trotter for a dominant performance), but I can't wait to see them take on a serious team next week. My only misstep (and it was a big one) was taking the Colts (+2) over the Patriots. I was feeling pretty shaky after the pick, and now I'm really kicking myself. But talk about a dud from Peyton Manning! He's really starting to live up to the "good, not great" label now ... despite all his phenomenal stats he looked absolutely average (27 for 42, 230 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT) against Bill Belichick's defense. I can't say I was shocked, we've seen the Pats have things go their way too many times before. Indy was never able to establish anything on the ground (39 rushing yards for Edgerrin James, compared to Corey Dillon's 144) and their short passes weren't effective at all. Three lousy points from the "greatest offense of all time"? Gotta take defense over offense every time ... well, not this time, but I've learned my lesson. Coming soon: Pats-Steelers and Eagles-Falcons predictions. Friday, January 14, 2005
Al and I went to see White Noise last night ... it was OK, a pretty promising idea but of course Hollywood screwed it up. Wait for the DVD.
Speaking of DVDs, for Christmas my brother got me a one-month subscription to this Netflix thing, it's where you pick out DVDs online and get them in the mail, three at a time, and for each one you return in the mail you get another one ... it's a pretty cool concept and since I have a good amount of free time right now I've been watching a lot of films. Most recently was Taxi Driver starring Robert DeNiro, I had seen most of it but never the entire thing. Outstanding, simply a must-see. Some others I watched recently that are worth checking out: Troy, Collateral, The Great Escape and The Last Samurai. Pretty nice column by Sports Illustrated's Dr. Z, his annual ratings of the various NFL broadcasting teams on TV. He makes some good points about the quality (or lack thereof) of most of the idiotic talking heads fans are subjected to each week. NFL PLAYOFF PICKS (Home team in CAPS) Jets (+9) over STEELERS I'm pretty confident Pittsburgh will win outright on their home turf, they are just too complete a team to falter at this point. However, most of the Jets' games this season have been pretty close, and although they have a bunch of things going against them (John Abraham basically refusing to play, Chad Pennington's recent illness, trash talk firing up the Steelers, the fact that they've never won in Pittsburgh) I can foresee this one coming down to the wire, and nine points is too much to pass up. Steelers 17, Jets 10 FALCONS (-7) over Rams A lot of people seem to like the Rams, granted they've been playing well for a few weeks now and their win over the Seahawks last week was something of a surprise ... plus Atlanta's starters haven't played for a couple weeks now so I guess they might be caught napping. But I don't think so ... how is that Rams "defense" going to stop Warrick Dunn, T.J. Duckett and Michael Vick on the ground? The St. Louis offense is helped by the fact that it gets to play in a dome this week, but hurt by the fact that it faces a terrific defensive line and pass rush. I think the Falcons make a statement here entering the NFC Championship. Falcons 27, Rams 14 EAGLES (-8.5) over Vikings I know the Iggles have been resting for a while now and there's no T.O., but the Vikes just aren't that great. Beating the Packers and embarrassing Brett Favre just doesn't impress me that much at this point. Asking them to win on the road two weeks in a row is just too much for this squad, and although Daunte Culpepper may put up a good fight, expect Donovan McNabb (and the Eagles fans) to be doing a bit of mock mooning after a couple of big scores. Eagles 30, Vikings 17 Colts (+2) over PATRIOTS Here's the marquee matchup of the weekend, at least for me. Peyton Manning vs. Bill Belichick, just as we expected to see for weeks now, even going back to last year's playoffs. The difference this time around is Peyton is absolutely on fire, the Pats' secondary has been beaten to a pulp, the weather will be a bit less bitter, and the NFL rulebook was specifically amended this season because of what Belichick's boys did to the Colts' receivers last January. The Pats made the Colts look pretty bad in their 2004 playoff matchup, largely in part because Ty Law and company were able to mug the Indy WRs in muddy, frozen Foxboro. This time around Law and Tyrone Poole are out, the Pats are signing guys off the practice squad just so they can field a defensive backfield, and the new rules allow receivers plenty of advantages in getting off the line and running their routes untouched. I just think that Peyton is going to raise his game for the occasion this time - after all, if he can't get it done in this magical ride of an NFL season with this talented cast of characters he may never. The Colts better figure out a way to run the football effectively though, Edgerrin James had a great season but was pretty nonexistant last weekend against the Broncos. They'll need to try to match Corey Dillon's output on the ground, as they can't rely solely on the pass. This is the playoffs, after all. The "Idiot Kicker" was up to his stupid old tricks earlier in the week with his trash talking but I think Mike Vanderjagt might get a chance to make up for it late in the game. Expect a good one. Colts 24, Patriots 21 Monday, January 10, 2005
I was a pretty solid 3-1 against the spread on this NFL wild card weekend. Let's take a closer look, shall we?
We'll start things off at Lambeau Field, where the Vikings (+6) surprised the Packers 31-17. I figured the Pack would pull one out for the third time this year ... but give the Vikes' defense credit, they were actually able to get their stuff together and stop the Green Bay offense for the most part, even making the Golden Boy look pretty silly a few times with four INTs. As for the "Moss Mooning" incident ... enough of the media making such a huge deal about Randy Moss simulating showing his ass to the Green Bay crowd. The announcers on Fox made such a fuss about this "disgusting" and "disgraceful" incident. We all know Moss is basically a jackass who loves the spotlight, so no one should be shocked. But here's the thing: it's not like he actually even pulled down his pants. Sure it was distasteful, but no more so than when Jake Plummer gave fans the finger a few weeks back, and I sure don't recall this much of a media uproar. By bringing so much attention to every little thing Moss does, the media only eggs him on further, so just get over it and move on for god's sake. Anyway, the Colts (-9.5) destroyed the Broncos 49-24, no surprise there ... it's almost mind-blowing what this Indy offense is doing this year, but the true test comes next weekend in Foxboro against the Patriots. Extremely interesting matchup, we'll take a closer look later this week ... The Seahawks (-4) flopped again vs. the Rams, 27-20 ... I can't say I'm shocked, although I did think they'd pull this one out. They almost had a chance too, if Penn State alum Bobby Engram had pulled in a last-second TD grab, but those are the breaks. What a disappointment that team is, for all the talent on offense ... getting kind of sick of all the "but they're young!" excuses too under coach Mike Holmgren, seems like we've been hearing it forever. It might be the end of the line however, both Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander are free agents ... As for the Rams, they're playing pretty well, but they'll need a better effort than this to beat a very tough Falcons team next weekend ... And finally, the Jets (+6) dodged plenty of bullets in their 20-17 OT win against the Chargers ... They did catch a bunch of breaks but in the end they deserved to win, San Diego just couldn't get it done. I'm still not ready to annoint Gang Green as a serious contender though, they're lucky they've come this far. Chad Pennington quieted a few of his detractors with a valiant, mistake-free performance, but he'll have his work cut out for him against the Steelers ... That's it for now. Stay tuned for my Divisional Playoff Picks later in the week. Friday, January 07, 2005
Well I'm back in Jersey following a few days in beautiful Tampa, Fla. Jen was there for a job interview but we really had a great time checking out the sights of the surrounding area, including Legends Field (the Yankees' spring training facility), Raymond James Stadium (home of the Tampa Bay Bucs), the University of South Florida, Clearwater Beach, Ybor City, New Tampa and more. The weather was incredible for January (high 70s, up to 80 degrees) so we got to hit the pool and beach and just enjoy driving around in our rental (a convertible!) .... now I'm back to work, Jen is back to the frozen tundra of State College, and I've been feeling shitty and congested since our plane touched down in Philly. Hooray.
There is one good thing to look forward to, and that's the NFL playoffs. I'll share with you my annual NFL Playoff Picks in a moment ... but first, now that the regular season has come to a close, let's take a closer look at the Giants' season in review and where they need to go to make next year a successful one .... I predicted an 8-8 finish in the preseason if all things went right, and obviously they did not. QB Kurt Warner was serviceable, and maybe the switch to Eli Manning came too early, but Warner wasn't really lighting things up or returning to his amazing form of a few seasons ago. The injury bug hit often, with several key players (Michael Strahan, Tim Carter, Gibril Wilson, Keith Washington, Shaun Williams and Norman Hand, to name a few) landing on the injured list. And even though the NFC was abysmal and two NFC East squads (Redskins and Cowboys) were huge disappointments, the G-Men could not mount a serious run at the playoffs. There was some good (a 5-2 start, road wins at Packers and Vikings, Tiki Barber's Pro Bowl nod, Manning's first win in the finale) but a whole lot of bad. The Giants suffered some of the same problems under new coach Tom Coughlin that they had under Jim Fassel, but with ownership fully committed to Coughlin, the head man isn't going anywhere in the near future. A few Giants had problems with Coughlin's drill-sergeant approach, but you can expect the bad seeds will be cleared out of the clubhouse (Will Peterson and Barrett Green, I'm looking in your direction) if they can't shape up now that Tom has a season under his belt. I'm not too sure about the team's cap room for next season ... supposedly it's "decent" and assuming a few veterans are on their way out (bon voyage, Ron Dayne) there should be some opportunities to add quality free agents. Signing big-ticket players hasn't really been the Giants' way in the free agency era, but there will be some available players, both big- and small-time, who would look great in red, white and blue. And given the fact that the Giants have handed over a number of draft picks, including next year's first, fifth and sixth rounders, to the Chargers in the Manning trade, they'll almost have to go the free agency route for upgrades at a few positions. That being said, let's take a position-by-position look at where the Giants are OK, where they need to significantly upgrade this offseason and how they might go about doing so. OFFENSIVE LINE: The strength of any football team starts up front, and this much maligned unit shoulders a lot of the blame for this season of disaster. The run-blocking was fine, but the pass-blocking was at times atrocious, and they must insure their investment in Manning by building a solid line. G Chris Snee, a 2004 second-round pick, appears to have been a nice pickup, as does often-injured C Shaun O'Hara, but both missed almost as many games as they played. LT Luke Petitgout has been pretty awful, and with the number of costly penalties he's been flagged for this season he should probably give back a portion of his hefty salary. Rather than taking a patchwork approach to line-building (which worked in their most recent Super Bowl season in 2000 but failed horribly in 2003 and '04), the Giants should open up their wallets and go after a legitimate offensive lineman or two via free agency. I would love to see them go after a solid rock like Rams T Orlando Pace, Seahawks T Walter Jones or Packers G Marco Rivera, or even capable veterans like Patriots G Joe Andruzzi or Eagles G Jermaine Mayberry, even though each will be highly sought-after and could break the bank. If not, there should still be plenty of second-tier guys, and they've got to at least find a serious LT so they can move Petitgout to the right side. No more picking guys off the scrap heap, because it just isn't working. RECEIVERS: The receiving corps has been a fairly big disappointment, with Amani Toomer and Ike Hilliard failing to catch a touchdown pass entering the final game of the year. Toomer may have been hampered by a hamstring injury all season and played through pain, which is admirable, but you still can't use that as an excuse. Manning wasn't always very accurate, but there were a number of times he was hurt by a lack of big catches from his receivers, including TE Jeremy Shockey. The always injured Carter again didn't see the field much, and rookie Jamaar Taylor flew under the radar before finally emerging as a deep threat - before getting injured. There's also talk of the underachieving Hilliard being cut loose to free up some money. There is a real need for a big, speedy WR and go-to target for Manning. The Steelers' Plaxico Burress highlights the class of 2005 free agents, but there are a number of other receivers entering their prime who may be available. Ronald Curry (Raiders), David Givens (Patriots), Muhsin Muhammad (Panthers) and T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Bengals) are all having breakout seasons after two or three years in the league and will command big dollars in the free agent market. Each of them should get a serious look from the Giants, and the addition of any one of them would provide the potential for an explosive offense next season. DEFENSIVE LINE: The Giants appeared to have a pretty good and deep unit before it was beset by injuries, and losing two starters (Strahan and Washington) for the season in the same game was brutal. Newcomer Hand was a great run-stopper in the middle before he went down. DT William Joseph, a 2003 first-rounder, finally showed improvement late in the season, as did DE Osi Umenyiora, who the Giants refused to part with in the Manning deal. Adding another DT in free agency (the Jets' Jason Ferguson?) or the draft could make a good unit even better. SECONDARY: The rookie Wilson seemed to be a very nice late-round find before he went down with a nagging neck injury, and the team sorely lacked his playmaking ability during its losing streak. Corners Will Allen and Peterson have been decent but are overrated, and the number of dropped interceptions and missed opportunities for big plays is astounding. I suspect Peterson will be in Coughlin's doghouse for some time and a replacement could be brought in. Also, Allen is rumored to be possible trade bait to secure a draft pick or two. S Terry Cousin was pretty bad at times, and veteran S Brent Alexander was OK; Williams, out for the season with an injury, is due $3 million and could be another salary cap casualty. Adding another young playmaker to go along with Wilson would be a real boost, and it would be great if they could strike it rich with another cheap, late-round pickup. RUNNING BACK: Barber isn't going anywhere, especially after the phenomenal season he pieced together under Coughlin's tutelage. But Dayne is a goner, and with that experiment having failed miserably the Giants should be in the market for a viable backup and third-down back. Midseason pickup Mike Cloud may be the answer, but he did miss several games with injury and is a free agent. They may want to consider finding a back in the draft's second round who could help carry some of the load in short-yardage situations or possibly even an eventual replacement for Barber, who's getting up there in age. LINEBACKER: Big Blue should be OK at outside backer with Carlos Emmons and Green (assuming he hasn't worn out his welcome by clashing with Coughlin). Young Reggie Torbor also appears to be a nice find. Inside, they'll be looking for an upgrade over Kevin Lewis and Nick Griesen, who both performed admirably but aren't top-notch starters. Steelers MLB Kendrell Bell would be a nice pickup. QUARTERBACK: Obviously they have their starter for 2005 and beyond, but the free agent Warner has already confirmed he plans to find a starting job elsewhere. That leaves a void at backup, and Jesse "The Bachelor" Palmer, himself a free agent, is not the answer. However, beyond the two bona fide starters possibly available in free agency (Drew Brees and Matt Hasselbeck), the list isn't too enthralling. How comfortable would you be with one of the following leading your team: Kelly Holcomb, Charlie Batch, Kordell Stewart, Gus Frerotte, Vinny Testaverde, or Jeff Blake? Still, the Giants will have to settle on one of these stiffs to at least ensure they have someone experienced in case Manning goes down. Young Lions backup Mike McMahon might be worth a shot because out of all those available he could at least have some upside, although he might not be the best tutor for Eli. NFL PLAYOFF PICKS (home team in CAPS) NFC Wild Card SEAHAWKS (-4) over Rams Is this really a playoff game, or just a battle to decide who gets to be eliminated in the next round? Both these squads should consider themselves lucky to be even in the postseason after some of the dismal performances they've had this season. The Rams are the hotter team going in, but their last two wins were against the Eagles (who rested most of their team) and the Jets (who already clinched the playoffs midway through their game) ... they've also beaten the Seahawks twice already this season, including a huge comeback victory early in the year. That being said, the've been pretty weak away from their home turf, and early reports have Seattle expecting some snow on Saturday. That should bode well for Shaun Alexander (one yard short of being the league's leading rusher) and also help the Seahawks' defenders slow down St. Louis' aerial attack. It's almost a toss-up, but I can't see the Rams winning the matchup three times in a row, so I'll stick with the underachieving home team. Seahawks 22, Rams 17 Vikings (+6) over PACKERS Here are two more up-and-down squads out of the lowly NFC. The Pack did just beat the Vikes on Christmas Eve to take the North title, and I think they'll win outright at Lambeau Field, which surprisingly isn't supposed to be too chilly. Both teams have excellent passing attacks and neither secondary is very good - the formula for a shootout. Expect both Brett Favre and Daunte Culpepper to put up big numbers as well as make the usual big mistakes ... the edge goes to the veteran Golden Boy, who will probably put together some late-game heroics to help Green Bay advance by a hair. Packers 35, Vikings 33 AFC Wild Card COLTS (-9.5) over Broncos Sure, the Broncs beat Indy last week to squeak into the playoffs. But you may have noticed that was Jim Sorgi under center for the Colts, not touchdown machine Peyton Manning. Denver has some offensive weapons that match up well against a weak Indianapolis defense, and its secondary is alright, but it's not enough to upset this offensive juggernaut. The Colts may not make it all the way to the Super Bowl in this magical season, but I can't see them going out like this. I can, however, see Mike Shanahan possibly getting the axe after another disappointing first-round exit against Indy. Colts 38, Broncos 24 Jets (+6.5) over CHARGERS I've been getting bad vibes about Gang Green for a while now, and even though they beat San Diego early in the season this is a much better squad they face at this point in the year, and the Jets still have yet to beat a good squad. Both teams have a lot to prove in this game, even though the Jets were expected to go deep into the postseason in 2005 while the Chargers were merely hoping to stay out of last place. The upstart Bolts want to show that they are for real, while the Jets would like to silence their critics by winning a big game. The Jet defense faces a huge task against this high powered offense, including monster tight end Antonio Gates, the always impressive LaDainian Tomlinson and the resurrected Drew Brees. The San Diego defense also must find away to slow the equally resurrected Curtis Martin. I don't think the Chargers' season was a fluke, but if they should fall here they can still claim a great season. The Jets, on the other hand, (particularly beleaguered QB Chad Pennington) should be desperate to show the world they're for real. I won't be shocked if the Chargers pull it out, but I can see a gutty Jets victory. Clearly the best matchup of the weekend. Jets 20, Chargers 17 Saturday, January 01, 2005
JAY'S WORLD BEST OF 2004 AWARDS
BEST NEW BAND: Probot Not a big year for new bands so I'll have to go with these guys, even though it's technically not a real band and they probably won't release another album BEST ALBUM COVER: Slipknot - Vol 3: The Subliminal Verses A freaky zipper-mouthed mask, pretty cool Runner up: 3 Inches of Blood - Advance and Vanquish WORST ALBUM COVER: Hypocrisy - The Arrival Some X-Files lookin aliens ... I understand it goes with the album theme, but it just doesn't look right for a metal cd COMEBACK OF THE YEAR: Megadeth - The System Has Failed Didn't think they'd even come out with anything again, let alone something this good. Runner up: Fear Factory - Archetype BEST COVER SONG: Children of Bodom - "She is Beautiful" (Andrew W.K.) The original already sounded something like a metal anthem before these Finnish freaks got a hold of this on their Trashed, Lost and Strungout ep. They are becoming the masters of cool metal covers. Runners up: Fear Factory - "School" (Nirvana); Soulfly - "In the Meantime" (Helmet) BIGGEST SURPRISE: Mastodon - Leviathan I was probably more surprised by Megadeth but since they're already the comeback of the year, I'll go with Mastodon ... didn't even think I'd like them that much, and they hit me with the top album of the year. Runner up: Clutch - Blast Tyrant BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Damageplan - New Found Power No disprespect to the late Dimebag Darrell or his brother Vinnie Paul, but I have to say I had bigger hopes for this one, being a big Pantera fan. Not to the point that I'd shoot anyone over it though, it honestly wasn't that bad ... Runners up: Evergrey - Inner Circle; Vader - Beast THE DIMEBAG DARRELL MEMORIAL AWARD (best riff) - Lamb of God - "Ashes of the Wake" Not really one riff, but all of them ... and there are a lot of great ones on this instrumental track which features Alex Skolnick (ex-Testament) and Chris Poland (ex-Megadeth) along with band members Willie Adler and Mark Morton. I think Dime could appreciate this one over a cold brew. Runner up: Decapitated - "The Negation" SONG OF THE YEAR: Clutch - "The Mob Goes Wild" I went with this one because a) it's a great song, and b) its political lyrics about the Iraq war are fitting for 2004. Otherwise, any of these songs could have gotten the award, because they're all terrific, and I suggest you check out each of them. Runners up: Fear Factory - "Archetype"; Iced Earth - "Gettysburg (1863)" trilogy; Megadeth - "Kick the Chair"; Beastie Boys - "An Open Letter to NYC"; Mastodon - "Iron Tusk"; God Forbid - "Antihero"; Probot - "Shake Your Blood"; Decapitated - "Negation"; Meshuggah - "I"; Slipknot - "Duality"; 3 Inches of Blood - "Destroy the Orcs" OVERLOOKED IN 2003: Enslaved - Below the Lights; Satyricon - Volcano Both excellent. LOOKING AHEAD TO 2005: New full-length albums from Children of Bodom, Judas Priest, Nine Inch Nails, Mors Principium Est, Dark Tranquility, Slayer, Meshuggah, Soilwork, System of a Down, Black Sabbath (???) and another Black Label Society, just to name a few! |