Steffen Schackinger - ElectriGuitartristry: C+

Steffen is no doubt a master at the guitar as he deftly shows in his debut instrumental album. Watching a video of him playing guitar is something to behold. He borrows a bit from Satriani to Stanley Jordan in a mix of rock to jazz. But playing great guitar doesn't make you a great songwriter. And that's where Steffen falls short. He's got a few good tunes on here that are solid from start to finish. But the rest are mind numbing tunes that are void of hooks or melodies to sink your brain into. The album is best when playing in the background. Otherwise it generally is hard to follow. There is one outstanding song "The Dixieland" which is electric guitar and fiddle duet with Jane Clark. Jane and Steffen mimic and exhange riffs in a fabulous piece of music. That song alone is worth the album. Otherwise, let's hope Steffen practices a bit more songwriting before his next venture.

Movie: 28 Weeks Later: A+

The prequel 28 Days Later was a horror masterpiece. Being a "small" movie in close quarters with limited "infected", it excelled at keeping the suspense up and frights absolutely terrifying. With 28 Weeks Later, the set is much larger expanding to all of London with at times thousands of infected. I was worried that this larger scale would turn this movie into more of an action horror and not living up to the first. I was totally wrong. This movie put a vice around me and held me down for the entire duration. Every scene is masterfully done. At times the suspense is in the background where I could see maybe something going wrong, but usually doesn't. At other times I had my fists and jaw clenched tightly as the horror unfolded. I often wanted the movie to end so I could get the hell out of there. The intensity is unbelievable. The gore is usually brief but brutal. And the "oh god don't go into the dark subway" made me want to scream. But what else can you with the Army right behind you trying to exterminate you? I'd put this in the top 10 of horror movies of all time. Really. Perfection.

Sloan - Parallel Play: B+

Music: 9/10 Vocal: 4/5 Lyrics: 4/5 Production: 4/5
Total: 21/25 = B+

Sloan is a blast from the 70's pop past with a hint of early punk. Many songs sound familiar but alas are not derivatives of earlier music. Instead Parallel Play is refreshing and great on the ears. It will keep you humming, clapping, and singing along. Personally, I felt guilty enjoying such power pop fare especially such infectious songs like "Witch's Wand" and "I'm not a Kid Anymore". But I know I'll keep listening.