The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 24, 2006, Page 6, Image 6
Hot Lava’s ‘Dinosaur’ rocks
stone age, preludes new disc
I
“The Way of the Dinosaur”
Hot Lava Monster
★★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆
Chad Henderson
THE GAMECOCK
Have you ever been
making Pizza Rolls and the
music was rocking so hard
that they exploded, leaving
a trail of burning pepperoni
carnage all over your face?
No, of course you haven’t.
At 8 p.m. Saturday, Hot
Lava Monster will melt
people’s brains in Columbia
when they take the stage at
Headliners. Currently, the
band is recording its next
album in Atlanta.
m t, not i^ava monster^
released^ its sophomore
effort, “The Way of the
Dinosaur.” This six-song EP
rocks relentlessly and shows
no mercy as this extremely
tight local group shows its
hook-writing know-how.
Listening to this album is
like taking a jet back to the
1970s and ‘80s and landing
in an arena rock show
surrounded by groupies and
long-haired rockers. Listen
and you’ll understand the
imagery. This band has it all:
solid drums, unique guitar
riffs and soaring vocals that
leap out of the speaker and
grab you by the ears saying,
“Listen to me!” The band
gets a unique sound for
every song without losing
its unique brand of rock
that takes lessons from such
legends as Led Zeppelin and
Boston. .
Hot Lava Monster’s
guitar work and overall
energy is similar to The
Darkness, save for the fact
i
hphhhmi
Speical to THE GAMECOCK
Local band Hot Lava Monster will hit up Headliners this
weekend, causing Pizza Rolls to explode across the state.
that lead singer Patrick
Baxley doesn’t shriek when
he sings. Instead he stays
in the mid-range and only
heads up the vocal stairway
to heaven to punctuate
the melody in all the right
spots. Baxley’s vocal stylings
are more like the lead singer
of Lifehouse. You know, that
band that sang “Hanging
by a Moment”? Well, they
obviously were hanging on
by something weak, because
the band disappeared after
that song.
Hot Lava Monster writes
honest music that takes a
moment in time and blows
it up into a rock song that
makes that moment eternal.
All of the better songwriters
strive to do this because it
helps people connect with
their music more. How
many times have you been
emotional and turned on
N*Sync’s “Space Cowboy”
and exclaimed, “I know just
how you feel!”?
Baxley, the band’s main
-1
songwriter, said, “We just
try to capture simple, honest
truth’s when they come
along. There’s something
very therapeutic about taking
a snapshot of a horrible
memory and turning it
into an anthem we can
celebrate.” Baxley’s theory
is certainly evident in such
songs as “Highway,” where
he talks about problems
with his lady. However, the
tune has a melody that is
easy to sing along with. The
energy of this song certainly
makes you feel like getting
in a car and speeding down
the highway.
“Ocean” is another
song that stands out on
this album. It’s written in a
swung style beat that gives it
a certain waltz feel. It talks
about the way a mate can
add insult to injury when
things are tough. If you live
long enough, you start to
realize that with great love
HOTLRUR • 1
uenoETTR • conTinuEDFRoms
the Academy can remember
her an entire year from now,
it wouldn’t be surprising to
see her receive an Oscar
nomination for “V for
Vendetta.”
She has great comedic
ability, but as she’s shown
in “Closer” and now in “V
for Vendetta,” she exhibits
a wide acting range and
can handle dramatic roles
easily. When she’s being
tortured, viewers can’t
help but feel sorry for her.
Viewers can see the change
Evey undergoes.
Hugo Weaving as V is
funny and moving while
also quite Matrix-esque
as a fighter. As his story
unfolds and his “vendetta”
is explained, V also reveals
his brutal vengeance for
those who have wronged
him.
When Britain became
a totalitarian state, the
chancellor initiated
experimental programs
which tortured the
participating patients. V
was one of the patients
and suffered brutal burns
over his entire body. Thus
he stays masked and caped
throughout the film. Even
Evey never sees his face.
His story will disturb
viewers and sway them to
cheer him on.
“V for Vendetta” gives
a chilling forecast for the
world’s affairs, but its
solvent for the international
ills lies with V and possibly
Evey, if she can learn to
trust a man whose face
she never sees. The film
isn’t set that far in the 4
future. Unsurprisingly, the
British-set film casts a grim
shadow over the United
States’ future.
The thriller succeeds
in offering excitement,
but it also reels viewers
in with its well-told story.
The pace keeps the film
interesting and provides
tender moments as well. “V
for Vendetta” and Portman
deserve recognition for their
powerfully entertaining
film and uniquely thought
provoking look at the ^
future of the world. ^
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc.edu
PIERCinGS • COOTinUCD PROm 5
and photographs. Above all
the obvious creativity, the
sheer and spotless condition
of the shop is what garners
the most attention.
During the week, Body
Rites averages six to 10
piercings a day and around
10 to 12 on weekends.
While they accept walk
ins in addition to general
appointments, Shannon
McKenzie said she likes
the convenience associated
with customers making
appointments. She said that
it makes for faster service
and gives the customer
more time to think about
their piercing.
Like any other
establishment, Body Rites
has its regulars, but they are
not necessarily all piercing
addicts. “There are plenty
of times when people or
friends come in just to say
hello,” McKenzie said.
Being a piercing studio,
weird requests come with
the territory. Customers
have been known to ask for
things they have , seen on
body piercing Web sites.
But according to McKenzie,
customers don’t realize that
some of those were just
done for the purpose of the
photograph.
Normally, they don’t
usually get anything too
crazy. The most typical
piercing requests include
those in the navel, nostril
and helix or cartilage
areas. “I guess people think
genital piercings are kind
of weird, but we actually do
a lot of those,” McKenzie
said. The staff at Body
Rites love their customers
and always stick to the rules
that have set them apart
from other studios. They
are sticklers when it comes
to checking and bringing a
parent along for those who
are underage. If an ID has
been tampered with in any
way, they will not accept it
as valid. Instances like these
have occurred in the past,
but, as McKenzie said, “it’s
not terrible.”
Body Rites is looking
into expanding its name to
cover tattooing as well, but
McKenzie said she wants
to keep the two mediums
separate from each other in
terms of the professionals
they use. “Normally, you’ll
have a great tattooist and
they go, ‘Oh yeah, I could
pierce somebody,’ or a
piercer saying they can
do tattoos, but then that’s
where the quality gets iffy,”
she said. DHEC begins
taking applications for new
tattooing studios on March
24, which she hopes will
open up the market and
bring in a whole new realm
of potential customers.
McKenzie said the
business at Body Rites has
to do with the area, the
economy and the fact that
people normally use extra
money to pay for their
piercings, something like
a gift for themselves. As
for why people like to get
pierced, McKenzie said it’s
a personal thing.
“I think it has a lot to
do with individuality,” she
said. Body Rites has put
nearly a decade of business
under its belt and it’s clear
PICRCinGS • 1
Solutions
It's March Madness At
Winterplace Ski Resort!
Race for great prizes* during the Month of March.
Enjoy fantastic skiing & riding PLUS special discount rotes.
• March 4-5 Harris Teeter Race Weekend
Head-to-Head Racing all weekend long.
• March 1 M2 Beach Party Race Weekend
Race against the clock all weekend long.
• March 18*19 Crazy Daze
Finale Race Weekend.
• March 25*26 End of Season Blow-Out Party!
'Check out some of the great prizes you could win: Skis,
Snowboards, T-Shirts, CD's, Hats and lots of other cool stuff!
WEEKDAYS All Day Twilight
(Monday through Friday) Open lo 10pm 3pm to 10pm
Lift Ticket $24.15 $21.95
Rental Equipment* S25lf 5$22.15
WEEKENDS All Dey Twilight
AHOUDAYSOpart to 18pm ipm to 10pm
Uft Ticket $27.15 $23.15
Rental Equipment* $11.15 $11.15
*Rontsi Emilpmsnt Includes skis, boots, Aid polos. Deposit Required.
NOTE: SptcW Rates not avsflabia in conjunction with other discounts or promotions.
Must presontcottpgoiD/niffllaryOlorecolwthsppocialdbcountsoason ret—.
Lefjeat Snowt»hiiig Dark In Weal Virginia
• 16 lane* and 5 Lifts Special Add^nSnowtublnqTictat
j • 800 Big, Fat Tube*
wmi$place
SKI fff RESORT __
Opsn I am on Wsstosnds and Hobdays and 9 am on Wsskdsys. Wt! Virilhh
Ytinterptecs is located just 2 mimjtssotn *77, Ex& 2ft, 1 IJW1I 1
at Flat Top/Ghsnt, Watt Vtqjinta.
vwt us on ttw wsb at wtntorplaco.com .
*500 cash bonus
Special offer for college and trade school 0
students, recent grads and graduate students
May be combined with most other publicly available Ford Motor Company national incentives at the time of
^purchase or lease on the model you select Limit one offer per .customer. See your local Ford or Lincoln
Mercury Dealer for details. Visit our Web site for official Program rules.
\M\km m
§> @ IJ i'.r
Cwww.YourTicket2Drive.com
for a chance to win:
X $500 cash
X A trip to the 2006 mtvU Woodie
Awards in New York City
X A brand new 2007 Ford Fusion!
B college student
purchase program
www.fordcollsgehq.com
J... A
NO PURCHASE NECESSARYOpen to legal residents of the U S. 18 and older
who are currently enrolled (or haw graduated after 5/1/04) IrVtrom a nalfonady
accredited coUege/unhretsity. |uniot college, community college or trade school
at lime of entry. VOID IN ALASKA AND HAWAII ANO WHEREVER PROHWTED OR
RESTRICTED BY LAW Entries tor the Grand Prtte Sweepstakes must be
received by 11:59 p.m. (EST) on 10/1/06 and enbies for the Monthly *
Sweepstakes drawings must Pe received by 11 59 p m. (EST) on the 27th day
of each calendar month during the Sweepstakes Period. Subject to the Official
Rules Visit YburTBket2Driw.com.