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cellarspider · 3 months

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Thanks to my rambling this weekend, I am overflowing with love for an MMO that hasn’t been in development since 2012, because goddamn the worldbuilding for the setting of City of Heroes and City of Villains was just superb.

Do you want an MMO that begins as a pastiche of superhero comics that lovingly, cheekily engages with its source material, building up a cohesive world where the fantastical stuff feels unexpectedly real and grounded in the society, more so than most of the comics it's inspired by? Do you want that, and then to watch it slowly, gently tip its backstory into existential, cosmic horror via genre critique?

I'm in no way kidding! More below the cut.

Well, part one of more, because there's a lot to unpack here.

A lot of new superhero continuities these days treats its central premise as an anomaly. For the most popular example, the MCU treats public knowledge of superheroes as something that started with Captain America in WWII. Before his exploits, the fantastical aspects of the setting were forgotten about and hidden from the world. The DCEU begins similarly with Wonder Woman in WWI, a member of a mythic society forgotten by time.

At first, Earth in City of Heroes seemed to go with a very similar premise, though it predates any of those movies: Superpowers were unknown to the general public until the early 1930s, when some people suddenly began gaining incredible new abilities, and mythical critters not seen since ancient times made themselves known.

But that’s just the basic sales pitch. As you dug into the setting and City of Villains expanded the lore, perspective shifted into something entertainingly stranger.

Everyone knew about Nemesis, the clockwork robot-making mastermind who'd terrorized Paragon City from the early 1930s, just when superheroes were first appearing on the scene. Turns out he was an immortal Prussian nobleman born who first went on an automaton-backed crime spree in 1820s, seemingly died when the British Navy bombarded his headquarters in Malta, then reappeared in the 1860s to supply the Confederate Army with mechanical cavalry until General Sherman shelled his mountaintop base on his march to North Carolina. Nobody was ever able to replicate what the did, and with his (apparent) death, he was no longer relevant after 1865. As of the 1930s, anyone who wasn’t a history buff had forgotten about him.

And sure, everyone knew there was an underground city of evil wizards, dead for long eons until they rose again to take human sacrifices from the surface world of Rhode Island (I’m still not over that). But actually, they were active in London during the Victorian mysticism craze, then moved their operations back to their homeland of subeterranean Rhode Island with the outbreak of World War I. They made the news across the continent. They got outlawed in multiple countries. They were a big deal, until the war took the attention off of them.

Hell, one of the people who fought all these weirdos was a random teenager who'd just... always been able to teleport and turn invisible, even prior to the '30s. He wasn't even a main character or anything! His parents knew, and tried to convince him to go get training. Teleportation training. Like y'do, with your socially awkward, teleporting kid.

This setting never actually had a mundane world that was unaware of the fantastical. The fantastical was normal. The arrival of superpowers in 1930 wasn’t a hard fork between history as we know it and theirs, or a reveal of some secret world that rational minds had long denied. It was just a dramatic escalation of what had already been happening, that everyone knew about. Armies of the 1800s had to develop anti-robot tactics. Alastair Crowley publicly dissed an actual wizard cult because they were dangerous competition. Parents worried over the mental health of their superpowered teens. That was normal.

The sheer numbers of fantastical events that started happening after 1930 were not normal. Or at least, not at first. People slowly adjusted over decades, as more and more young people grew up in a world that had always been that way.

What nobody realized at that point was how the new normal bordered on a state of cosmic horror.

And that’s where the setting really starts interrogating its inspirations.

#city of heroes #city of villains #my love for this setting is unbounded #and it honestly deserves more attention and analysis for how it engaged with the genre #it ranged from joyously fluffy nonsense to deeply disquieting introspection and all they way back around to hootingly funny bullshit #I definitely have more rambles coming on this because I CANNOT BE STOPPED

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cjostrander · 5 years

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Creed: Human Clay

Well; i am back to another anniversary review and have decided to tackle Creed’s most well known album. It turns 20 years old this year and is something that is better to have off the list sooner than later. Let’s begin and see how well this album has stood the test of time!

Are You Ready? (Single): We begin with the first single and it begins with a middle eastern type melody to ease the listener in with some wonder before shifting into some standard mainstream rock riffs. The bass has a prominence presence in the mix and works with the drums to keep things moving in a pretty easygoing note. Scott produces a pretty strong delivery that is straightforward but infuses a good deal of relaxed rage in his vocals. The lyrics prove to be straightforward in a simplistic manner but retain ample catchiness to follow along to pleasantly. The chorus helps to push things along smoothly and will shape this up to be a safe pick for them to play live. So you know; i have seen this album played in its entirety before they ended their reunion era tours. As you guys can expect with this song and album in general; you are looking into mainstream rock n roll that won’t favors accessibility over complexity. 8/10

What If (Single): This next single is one of my favorites from the band and it begins with a sinister guitar melody that brings forth a pleasing sense of darkness and lurking tension. It sets itself up nice and easy before guitar riffs roar into one of the most powerful rockers on the album. Scott arrives with a full dose of fury in his vocals to grasp the listener’s attention. The lyrics are some of the album’s catchiest and provides ample sing along moments during the chorus. It moves along nice and steady with aggressively powerful drum bashing and focused guitar blasts. This track is a must see for during a live performance and showcases Scott’s vocals at the top of their game. The prominent presence of the bass in their music is a good move because it helps to prevent the band from feeling empty anywhere. 9/10

Beautiful: This track begins with a low but soothing guitar melody underneath Scott's casual opening. The guitars infuse a clever balance between cultural melodies and more muscular riffs to keep a steady balance for the listener to encounter. The drums deliver a decent show of aggression in the background to add to the muscle of the guitars without trying to absorb too much of the spotlight. The lyrics aren’t bad but do focus more heavily on a spoken word style and as such may risk leading the listener to some boredom due to its lower level of catchiness than on the last couple songs. The guitar solo produces a nicely melodic atmosphere and showcases some of Mark Tremonti’s early technicality without really venturing too far into it. 8/10

Say I: Guitars immediately begin this one off with a nice level of muscular force for the listener to feel engaged by. It still showcases those echoed middle eastern tinged guitar riffs that Tremonti was very prominent with during his early career. Scott takes on a more risky vocal style that is very firm and focused but ventures on with a lighter show of musical prominence than on the previous tracks. Because of that while; instrumentally it is an interesting piece to pick apart; it does progress rather slowly and risks leading the listener to a state of boredom. This is mainly due to a near absent focus on making the vocals or lyrics display a sense of catchiness to move along to. Still not a bad piece but more suited to being background music to set a rhythm; as opposed to deserving heavy focus. 7/10

Wrong Way: Echoed guitar melodies begin the song on a worldly yet gloomy tone that fits with a title of the track. Scott arrives with a lecturing style of vocals that gradually displays some interesting melodies without feeling the need to bring out the muscle from the guitars and drums. Despite feeling like a straightforward filler track it moves by pretty quickly and doesn’t do much to offend as it does to really be memorable to the listener. Hopefully the next couple tracks bring a little more magic into the album. This and the last track do a decent job of prolonging the listening experience for what it’s worth. 7/10

Faceless Man: More of the middle eastern riffs arrive to create the worldly feeling of a journey underway. Scott delivers some pretty melodic verses and the inclusion of acoustic riffs helps to give his vocals a nice texture that would showcase a solid live performance for the band. It stays nice and melodic and the lyrics should do well to keep the listener focused while the instrumentals maintain a soothing sense of relaxation that would be properly appreciated in this album. They do still bring some of their signature muscle later on in the song that will help it to be more well rounded track for mainstream rock fans. This one definitely will also be a highlight for Scott's vocals due to the level of convincingly emotional power he develops as the song reaches its gradual ending. Definitely one of the stronger tracks that isn’t a hit. 8.5/10

Never Die: Guitars begin with an odd yet interesting echo melody that feels like waking up on a rough morning with a hangover. I mean that in a positive manner since i could see a humorous music video centered on that type of excess scenario. The vocals are good and deliver a good show of force while the drum bash around a bit more this time of some slightly angrier riffs. It keeps that chime like guitar melody running consistent throughout the song and even though it’s not bad; i could see a half engaged listener growing gradually annoyed due to its persistence. The lyrics on this one are decent and will deliver a decent focal point for a listener that is interested in it; Though i don’t envision many listeners in this genre that will really give the music that level of analysis. They do have some decent near-jam segments that will fluff its live appeal and shape this up to be another of the more well-rounded non hit tracks. 8/10

With Arms Wide Open (Single): Now these next two singles are signatures for the band and begin with a highly memorable guitar melody; which immediately lulls the listener into a deep state of ease. Scott arrives with a calm and assuring vocal presence that is full of reflection and growth. This can probably be easily viewed as containing some of the Scott’s most memorable lyrics of his career. That will be a major focal point in this track but the instrumentals do a pretty good job of emphasizing the emotion in Scott’s voice. I would definitely suggest checking this track and the next one out if just discovering the band or browsing the album; because it is a staple track that has endured pretty firmly throughout the years 9/10

Higher (Single): This next staple for the band as a whole begins with a reassuringly theraputic guitar melody but with a bit more power guitar wise than the last song. Scott enters pretty smoothly and provides it with a decent level of melody and power for the listener to be soothed by. The lyrics are decently strong and will be a good focal point for the listener and help to cement it as one of the band’s consistent live staples. As with the last track it is a pretty straightforward track that is honestly simplistic but emotionally compelling. It is surely to be around for another 20 years on the radio as long as 90′s era music remains played. But if Nickelback’s older work is still played then this band is a given; since both play to the same market for better or for worse depending on your personal taste preference. 8.5/10

Wash Away Those Tears: This is the longest track on the album at roughly 6 minutes long. It shifts the album back towards a more somber note verses the last two tracks. Scott arrives with a more echoed and angsty style in comparison to the previous material. As a result he is much less supported instrumentally and can leave this track feeling somewhat empty as a result. Instrumentals gradually do pick up in activity and help Scott to achieve some level of melody in his lyrics. It does gradually grow to hit the listener with a nicely climatic level of power and vocal emotion. It does help to make the long build up worth it even if its not screaming for attention. It would make for a good live piece to come across as long as the setlist flow is solid. As for the album flow its lengthy but keeps you occupied in a positive manner. 8/10

Inside Us All: This finale track starts off with a stronger sense of melodic urgency in the guitar riffs. It is soothing but thought provoking in terms of emotion. Scott arrives with a calming sense of melody that makes effective use of his lyrics to really grasp onto the listener’s need for theraputic release. As a result it has a decently fitting atmosphere for a finale track for this album. It keeps things straightforward as is typical but a continued ability to get you thinking whether its about the music itself or your own personal conflicts. 8/10

Overall album rating: 8.1/10

Well it got a fairly decent score and actually stood out as a much more well rounded album than i expected it to be. It is still what you would label as mainstream generic radio rock; but it is the better of the lot. It is lengthy but flows pretty smoothly as an overall album and does provide you with ample opportunity for reflection; which is hard to find in this type of music. I would rate it as being very mood oriented in terms of appreciation and is best suited for an easygoing day in which you want something with energy and some attempt at complexity without throwing the kitchen sink at you. I would suggest that you give it a listen when the mood feels right but play it in album sequence.

*Reviewer’s Pick*

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