Author Archives: hristo120

March: Month of The French Francophonie

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Hello everyone,

March 2018 is the official month for admiring the beauty and greatness of the amazing French language. As a proud French speaker and a member of the francophonie community, I would like to take this chance to express my sincere thoughts about this topic.

First of all, the French language has been a huge part of my life, so I personally feel a special and warm connection whenever I hear it. My first encounter with French was when I was about 12 years old. This was the time when me and my family moved to Geneva, Switzerland. I didn’t speak a single word of French, so it was especially difficult for me to fit in school, where everyone spoke a different language. Luckily, I had great teachers and school mates (who eventually became close friends of mine), who understood my situation and helped me out the best way they could. Eventually I learned to speak French quite decently, so the language barrier dissapeared and French was much easier for me to speak freely and confidently.

When I returned to Bulgaria in 2017, I enrolled in an acclaimed French Language school in Bulgaria, where I continued to study the language. I didn’t want to forget a language that I hardly spoke anymore (since leaving Switzerland), so the French school was a perfect opportunity for me. Then, in the beginning of 2018, I succesfully passed my French Language Certificate, so I can now proudly say that I officially speak French.

The problem is, like I already said, that I don’t really practice my French speaking and listening skills that often. Our western society is more geared towards the Anglophonic world, so most of the music I personally listen to and most of the movies I watch, even the news that I read, is in English. This leads to people not having the desire of learing new languages and cultures.

In my opinion, each and every single language is a new wealth in your reservoir. Whenever you have the opportunity to learn a new language, embrace it and don’t let go.

J’espère d’avoir contribuée au sujet. Merci de m’avoir lue et bonne chance pour la suite!

Stereotypes Are Bad

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Stereotypes are the very definition of sheep behaviour!

During my life, I have had the wonderful opportunity to travel around the world (mostly the continent of Europe) and visit many different countries. This has given me the chance to study new languages, to learn new cultures and to make new friends of various backgrounds.

One striking thing I noticed while living abroad, was that the countries and the people are much more different than what I expected them to be. For example, prior to going to Germany I was told that the country consists of xenophobes and greedy people. Little did I know, Germans are actually some of the nicest people I have ever met and will probably ever meet. Germans are hard-working, helpful and absolutely fantastic people to hang-out with. This is why I personally hate to generalize nations: you just can’t assume that if there is one case of xenophobia, that all Germans are xenophobes.

On the other hand, I have experienced stereotypes myself too. When telling people abroad that I come from Bulgaria, they sometimes immediately look down on me. They usually automatically assume that Bulgaria is the poor country in Eastern Europe with lots of Roma people that wants to steal the jobs of Western-Europeans. For them Bulgarians are the very definition of “parasites”. This is, of course, is a bold and generalizing statement that is just wrong and idiotic.

A person should, in my opinion, be criticized and judged based on their own attributes, like intelectual capacity or exression, individually. Every person is different and the country is not responsible for the individual’s personality or performance in life. This is why I think that stereotypes are STUPID and WRONG.

Before judging someone, don’t follow the others like a sheep: do your own research and make your own conclusions.

 

Aerosmith – Dream On

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This time I have decided to pay homage to one of classic rock’s leading acts: Aerosmith. “Dream On” is arguably one of their greatest hits and possibly one of rock’s all-time greatest songs. I can’t stress enough how much this band has affected my life in general.

“Dream On”, as a single from Aerosmith self-titled first album is a song about optimism  and believing in your dreams until they become true one day. It is an inspiring piece of music that motivates people to never give up  and to chase their goals in life. Life might be hard sometimes, things might not turn out the way you wanted them to be, but you should never forget that you’re still alive. Life goes on, we must “dream on”.

Steven Tyler’s iconic voice and Joe Perry’s striking guitars are what make Aerosmith so legendary, and this song is no exception. The melancholic atmosphere is accompanied by the memorable guitar licks and haunting vocals. Not to forget that epic guitar solo at the end that absolutely seals the deal!

In a nutshell, this piece of art is an absolute masterpiece. I would reccommend this song to literally anyone, also non-rock fans. If you have listened to it before, try listening it outside on a warm sunday night with a glass of cold beer. That way you will admire its greatness even more!

 

Melvins – Lizzy

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Bombastic song with a great vibe

 

I stumbled upon this song recently while studying for my exams. I am surprised at how good this composition turned out to be, so I decided to share it with you guys. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

What I liked most about this song is how chaotic it actually is. It starts-off really calm and relaxing and then absolutely explodes in the chorus. The drums are so hardcore and violent while the down-tuned guitars make the song feel really heavy and loud. The chorus contrasts with the harmonic vibe of the verses though, which I personally really liked. It is no wonder that these guys have been a huge inspiration for grunge bands like Nirvana.

I read the lyrics like five times, slowly, but I still don’t quite understand what they’re talking about. I’m not really sure how to interpret lines like “He’s somebody’s daughter”, because it simply doesn’t make any sense to me. Maybe it is about the abuse of power and authority? Maybe? Maybe, who the hell knows. The important thing is, that the song is really good. At the end of the day, it’s the music the counts.

 

International Women’s Day

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Happy International Women’s Day !

 

Every successful man is backed up by a woman who is always a step at the forefront of him. Listening carefully, understanding with patience, supporting through thick and thin, caring heart and always being there are synonymous to the word lady to me. With the creation of world, you were also added to increase its beauty. The world is mesmerized with the work you done.This day belongs to you.

May you prosper and stood affirm in the course of life. Salute to all the wonderfull women, young and old, of the future and of the past. You make any man’s day brighter and full of sunshine.

 

 

 

 

Crystal Castles – Not In Love ft. Robert Smith (The Cure)

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An excellent song with great lyrics, haunting vocals and powerfull instrumentals

 

“Not In Love” is a song by the Candian music group Crystal Castles featuring The Cure frontman Robert Smith as the lead vocalist. Although it is a an electronic song, “Not In Love” has some indie rock and punk influences that make it quite intriguing and intresting to listen to. When listening to music, one should not take into consideration what genre it is, only the quality of the sound is important. This is why I try to exit my nuthsell from time to time and give other types of music a try.

Crystal Castles’s electronic hit has become quite popular over the years, mostly due to many video-game companies using it in their soundtrack (FIFA 12 for example). When listening to the lyrics, I was astonished at how beautiful but sad they were at the same time. “Not In Love” tells the story of a person that is in denial of not being in love, when in fact he is deeply saddened that he can’t see his loved one ever again. He misses all the great times and moments of a relationship that lasted very shortly and left a scar in his heart that he can’t heal. He tries to forget his the love that he once had, but the impossibility to forget his troubled, but also euphoric relationship leaves him in emotional agony and pain.

The song itself is has a sad and melancholic feeling to it, making the listener feel a lack of hope and despair. The synthesizers and electronic components make the song really powerfull and leave a sense of confusion and chaos. Also, Robert Smith’s haunting gothic vocals align perfectly with the somber and dark atmosphere of the song.

All in all, Crystal Castles’ “Not In Love” is a perfect song for people that have been heartbroken, witnessed the end of a loving relationship or just generally feel sad and blue. Its depressing tone is certainly something that you might want to listen to when you are in a particular mood. The haunting vocals, powerfull instrumentals and top-notch lyrics are attributes, that make the song absolutely amazing in my opinion and I would recommend it to people wanting to listen to something to different.

 

The Raconteurs – Steady, As She Goes

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Energetic and vibrant song with great instrumentals, vocals and lyrics

 

“Steady, As She Goes” is the debut single from The Raconteurs’ first ever album “Broken By Soldiers”. The Raconteurs is an American garage rock group formed in 2005 with ex-members of bands like White Stripes (Jack White) and the Greenhornes (Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler). Jack White, the leading composer, continues to impress with his raw and emotional songwriting skills and abilities.

The song “Steady, As She Goes” is about how a person should settle down and find himself a stable partner with whom he will live until the end of his days. It is about how single life is flawed and about how it only sparks more problems like the lack of stability and security. If you “find yourself a friend that knows you well” and you marry her, the solution to all your difficulties in life shall arise.

Music wise, the song is an absolute masterpiece. When you listen to it for the first time, the first thing you will notice is the catchy bass hook and Jack White’s memorable guitar riff. The song starts of slow and violently explodes in the chorus, much like the grunge formula (quiet verse & bombastic chorus). This, however, is definitely not a grunge song. The lyrics are quite positive and the song has a more optimistic feel to it. The harmonic vocals of both singers and the synchronisation of all instruments all work together to form one bad ass rocking song!

I would recommend this fan to anyone who likes rock music in general. While being a bit more “poppy”, hardcore rock fans will also enjoy the song’s catchyness. It is a great composition with distorted guitars, great riffs, nice vocals and a deep message.

 

 

Asking Alexandria – Closer (cover)

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A violent, primal and raw cover of an already savage and aggressive song

 

“Closer” is a song originally composed by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. It is a powerfull song about a person suffering from terrible psychological problems and who finds his peace in engaging in violent, mindless lustful activities. Like a parasite, while curing his own needs, the person gradually sucks the life of the “victim”. Asking Alexandria, one of metalcore’s leading acts, has decided to make their own version of the eerie song. Is it any good or is it just a generic copy of the original?

First of all, both versions are quite similiar. They both start-off slow and in a certain harmony, while progressing to a much more dynamic but also chaotic state. Both songs have a rhytmic feel to them, like a heart beating in full synchronisation. Whike Asking Alexandria are using a much heavier, metalcore-esque sound in their cover, they still mange to pull-off the industrial and electronic elements of the classic version.

The difference between both both version lies more in the performance of the song. Asking Alexandria, as a hardcore metal band, use their  trademark harsh vocals, brutal screams and deadly growls to transform the song in an entirely different dimension. The interesting thing is, that it doesn’t start-off this way. The cover begins slow and harmonic and gradually develops to an absolutely chaotic mess of down-tuned guitars, power chords, vicious drumming and primal screaming & growling. This totally fits the theme of the song: a depressed person that slowly loses his mind and finds his only hope in hot-tempered sexual encounters.

Asking Alexandria’s cover of “Closer” is however not for everybody. The harsh vocals and heavy guitars aren’t for everybody and the dark theme of the song can be a big turn-off for some people, that are not used to this kind of music. Personally, I am also not a huge fan of metalcore (usually too much screaming and less actual music) but in this case, the heaviness definitely suits the progressive tone of the composition. My only flaw with the song is, that after a certian moment it gets a bit too repetitive.

All in all, Asking Alexandria’s cover of Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer” is a modern, metal take on the mid-90s classic. It is violent, aggressive and full of harsh screaming and growling about the primal needs of a deprived human being. While not as good as the original, I would totally recommend it to people interested to give it a try.

 

Епизод – Хаджи Димитър

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For my Bulgarian friends at home and around the world:

                                             

Честита Баба Марта на всички!

Пожелавам на всички щастлие, любов, радост и само хубави неща за бъдещето. Надявам се мечтите ви да се сбъднат, живота ви да бъде лишен от всякакви форми на страдание и всичките ви проблеми да бъдат решени. Но най-важното, е да бъдете все така готини и живи и здрави за напред 🙂

Поздравявам ви с едно жестоко парче на рок-групата Епизод, посветено на стихотворението на великия български поет революционер Христо Ботев. Като българи, ние винаги трябва да се подкрепяме и да не забравяме произхода си. Ние сме една нация, един народ с древна история и традиции. Ние сме българи!

 

 

Bad Wolves – Zombie (Cover)

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A beautiful take on a classic song with an original twist

Side Note:

Hello guys! My name is Chris and this is my first ever post on this (little) blog. I am an avid lover of rock and metal music, especially the more alternative genres. I will use this blog is to share my views and opinions regarding various topics in the rock and metal community. My goal is to let people discover new music, to review songs/albums based on my personal opinion, to share news regarding the rock/metal world or to simply express my sincere thoughts about certain issues and topics.

“Zombie” is thrilling song about the violent consequences of warfare originally written by the Irish alternative rock-band “The Cranberries”. Following the death of Cranberries lead vocalist Dolores O’Riordan, the American metal band “Bad Wolves” delivered a haunting cover of the iconic song.

The song itself is not much different than the original classic, in terms of video concept and song-structure. They both follow the same melody and the videos are very similiar, with Bad Wolves taking a more minimalistic approach, although with much better production quality. The cover was originally supposed to be sung along with Dolores herself, but she unfortunately died on the date of the scheduled recording, making the cover much more powerfull altogether.

In terms of lyrics, there is a slight difference, changing the meaning of the Cranberries’ 90s song and adapting it to the present day: “with their tanks and their bombs and their guns and their drones” or “it’s the same old theme in 2018”. The musical style is also a little bit different: Bad Wolves use a more heavy-metal inspired sound with more down-tuned guitars and heavier vocals, while the Cranberries use a more mellow style with heavy guitars and powerful vocals but also combining that melancholic feel of the grunge era.

Dolores O’Riordan was an iconic figure in the rock and pop world. Her lyrics inspired many to think outside the box to take action when you are in danger. She was an intelligent and powerful woman and believed in great causes. The 15th of january 2018 was definitely a huge loss for the rock stage and music in general. RIP Dolores O’Riordan.

All in all, I personally think that the new Bad Wolves cover of “Zombie” was absolutely fantastic. The lyrics, the video, the vocals, the intstrumentals were on point, giving the classic song a more modern feel, while still respecting the original composition. The song takes me on a nostalgic trip to a darker time in my past, when life was easier yet harder. I would recommend in to anyone interested in seeing something different.