To describe the sound of The Redneck Manifesto would be a challenge, but I’ll give it a shot. The band is comprised of 2 guitarists, a bassist, a drummer, and a keyboard player. The band does not use any vocals on any of their songs, except one melody on the song “Drum Drum” which is quite simply yelled over the bass line that plays. The type of music that The Redneck Manifesto plays should be put into the category of “post-rock” or “ambient instrumental rock” with other such acts as This Will Destroy You, Explosions in the Sky, and Lymbyc Systym. However, TRM is a lot more experimental and psychedelic than the bands I just mentioned. A lot of guitar work on the new record sounds like something that Minus the Bear would write. The music is very experimental, but doesn’t cross the line of being “weird” to a person without a musical ear. 

The CD should be seen as a journey for listeners. Friendship starts out with “Black Apple,” a very bass heavy and groovy song. Tempos and time signatures change erratically throughout this song and many more after it. Next, “Smile More” and “Drum Drum” allow TRM to show off their jazz abilities. These songs are drenched in syncopated drum beats and palm-muted guitar riffs. Consider “Tomb of the Dudes” and “Hex,” some of the more relaxing songs, to be intermission on this CD which can be heavy at times, but never too overbearing. “Rubber Up,” “Weird Waters,” and “Click” are some of the more funky, grooving, dancy (call it what you want) songs that I have ever heard. It’s tough to listen to this CD without wanting to dance. “Rubber Up” shifts from being completely technical and groovy, to what can be considered an up-tempo reggae beat. The last song on the CD, “Cloud Beard,” is very much like a lullaby, dripping with an electric piano and tambourines. This last song is very similar to “Hibernation Statement,” one of the most laid-back songs written by the band on I Am Brazil. 

The CD is definitely worth a listen and can be found on Amazon. Unfortunately, it must be purchased through the Ireland iTunes store, which gave me a good bit of difficulty. Besides, it’s cheaper than through iTunes. The CD only runs about 7 dollars and is well worth it. So, go out and look into good independent music, starting with this great album from The Redneck Manifesto.

- Marshall McClung ‘11

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All I can say is “wow” when playing BC2. The Frostbite© engine which ran the first game and allowed for the copious amount of gorgeous cut-scenes and destruction has been reworked and has improved the game ten-fold.  In the first Bad Company it was possible to blow out all the walls of a building but the building would remain standing; in BC2 it is now possible to completely raze buildings in single- and multiplayer.  The level of destruction ups the ante in strategy that keeps the game fresh.

The single-player campaign this time around takes a darker turn than the first game that was lauded for its great comedic writing and lampooning of the shooter genre. Don’t get me wrong, BC2 is still extremely funny but the game’s focus isn’t on the funny moments; war has its light moments, but it can also be rather dark.  The story of BC2 does not focus on gold like the first game; instead it has Bad Company trying to thwart the Russian invasion of the U.S. and the Russians’ use of a WMD.  Your squad-mates shoot a little better than in the first game though it is still mostly up to the player to kill the Russians and cowboy-hat-wearing mercenaries.  Looking at the single-player campaign as a whole, it is much more story-driven and polished than the first game, which makes it both enjoyable and highly re-playable.

Multiplayer, though, is where BC2 really shines.  The idea of ranking up and unlocking certain guns like in the Call of Duty franchise exists, but ranking up only gives the player handguns, certain “perk-like” specializations, and a few “all-class weapons” like the G3 and SPAS-12.  To get primary weapons, a player has to earn so many points in each class; for instance, if I want to unlock Anti-Tank Mines for my engineer or the M60 LMG for my medic, I have to play as those classes and get points by killing players and doing class specific things like repairing vehicles or reviving fallen teammates.  Plus, the same physics engine is used in multiplayer, so there is realistic bullet-drop and one can make a building collapse and kill enemies.

There is only one beef I have with the game: EA’s “Project 10 Dollar.” “Project 10 Dollar” is EA’s way of forcing players to either buy the game new, which includes a VIP code so that one can play online and download items through an in-game store, or buy the game used, which forces one to have to buy a VIP code from EA that can cost between 10 and 15 dollars.  EA used this first with Dragon Age: Origins and then with Mass Effect 2; it is EA’s attempt to cut into the market of used games rather than a way to offer “premium downloads” like EA promises. 

Bottom line?  If you like blowing things up and watching buildings crumble after calling a mortar strike on it, then I would heavily suggest purchasing this game and join the best multiplayer experience one could want.  You can ask almost anyone who has played BC2, especially me, it is far better than COD: Modern Warfare 2.  Period. 

Rating: 9.5/10 Happy-face Pinned Grenades.

- Andrew Mauney ‘11

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2. Halo 3: ODST
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As per the name, in Halo 3: ODST, the player plays as an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (ODST) who is hot-dropped in just before the destruction of New Mombasa. So, that means no more being a seven-foot tall SPARTAN super-soldier, shields, equipment, or dual-wielding for the player, but it does mean a return to the pistol from Halo 1 plus a newly silenced and scoped SMG. The smaller stature and more delicate nature of being an ODST changes the entire play style from the rest of the Halo franchise in a good way. ODST is not about running and gunning, but rather careful stealth and knowing how to avoid confrontation when necessary. Avoidance is best when playing in between the larger fight sequences in the dark and rainy cityscape of war-torn New Mombasa.

The player starts the game as “The Rookie,” having been knocked out for over six hours when the player’s drop-pod is knocked off-course. The entire game is set as a film-noir detective story complete with an amazing original soundtrack that echoes Halo but also gives a very moody, dark theme that matches the theme of the game. The player’s objective is to find out what happened to the Rookie’s squad-mates while he was knocked out. This requires use of the new VISR ability, which is essentially a pimped-out night-vision mode, to find clues of the squad’s whereabouts. The flashback missions are where the game really shines; classic Halo action where the player gets to switch to one of the other squad members and replay what happened earlier in the day to be able to piece together where the squad is. 

Also with the flashback missions come plenty of cut-scenes that look amazing (a la the Halo 3 engine) and have top tier actors, like Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Serenity). Another part to quickly note is the addition of “Firefight” to ODST. Now players can choose a level and play against waves and waves of Covenant with up to three players on one Xbox or three friends on Xbox LIVE. “Firefight” is a great addition for those who get tired of normal multiplayer but don’t want to play the normal campaign mission. As an added bonus, Bungie has filled the game withthirty audio logs that give more insight to the Covenant siege of New Mombasa and a few other Easter eggs that the reader will have to find on his/her own.

With all its splendor, ODST does have some shortfalls. The AI has been beefed up, but Covenant and Humans still climb on top of random objects directly in the line of fire. Also, though graphically beautiful, the nighttime sections can be hard to play, especially on a HDTV; even with adjusting the black levels, the game seemed overly dark at times which made it extremely hard to distinguish things that were far away. Also, along that same vein, the VISR system does not work outside or in medium-lit areas so attempting to see something in a poorly lit area is nigh impossible. Another problem that players run into is the overall length of the game. The game is substantially shorter than any other game in the franchise that can be a problem for people who want a game that has an involved single player.

Also, “Firefight” has the major pitfall of not being able to use matchmaking to make a party to play. The lack of matchmaking is a real problem since most people have a hard time trying to find four friends to play at once on LIVE; plus the screen can be crowded with four players playing co-op on one TV.

Overall, Halo 3: ODST is not a game Halo fans should miss, nor should anyone else be lacking in their game library. Though it may feel too short, the game more than makes up for it with a rich story that keeps players guessing and enough secrets to keep anybody busy for a long time. Also, readers should note that Halo 3: ODST comes with a second disc that contains the Halo 3 multiplayer client along with all the map packs. So ODST is a good deal just for the new maps and a new disc to play them with.

Rating: 9.5/10 Brute Skulls

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