STACK NZ May Issue #62

REVIEWS

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DVD of the MONTH

Sons Of Anarchy: The Complete Sixth Season

MORTAL KOMBAT X The Mortal Kombat franchise has been my go-to for fighter games for as long as I can remember; the tenth installment in NetherRealm’s series is no different. Introducing the Faction system, incorporating Faction Wars, Mortal Kombat X has implemented a brand new method to create chaos amongst friends. Given the choice of one of five different Factions, everything a player does in-game contributes points to said chosen Faction, with the winner being crowned weekly. A worldwide leaderboard coupled with online multi-player can be as much a strain on a relationship as a game of Monopoly, but thankfully I haven’t (yet) seen a BRUTALITY in half-done: it’s energised, passionate and rocks as hard as any record they’ve ever made. The opening title track gives us a strangely funereal beginning, with Patton prowling and threatening before the mighty Superhero kicks us into vintage FNM high gear, all majestic keys, super-primed bass devasation. Sunny Side Up is all loose funk and a slow, sure build, while Separation Anxiety is a march-of-the- warriors procession building to a kill ‘em all/take no prisoners crescendo. FNM explore a few fun textures (hear the Mex-Reggae of Rise of the Fall) , it’s a potent resurrection of all we loved about them. Jonathan Alley As far biker odysseys go, this series makes Easy Rider look like a day trip. And given the epic nature of journey, it’s not surprising that Sons Of Anarchy has endured more than a few speed wobbles over the years, along with the occasional mechanical meltdown – yes, the Irish excursion in season three still rankles. But as with many American series, now that the finish- line is in sight creator Kurt Sutter and the rest of gang have dramatically raised their game. Out on May 6, the penultimate sixth series is one of the strongest – and bloodiest – installments yet and, without wanting to give anything away, a number of the series’ biggest story strands are finally resolved. The series opens with Clay (Ron Perlman) and Tara (Maggie Schiff) both in prison on trumped up murder charges, and under pressure from

renegade lawmanToric (Donal Logue) to give up SAMCRO. Jax (Charlie Hunnam), meanwhile, is still determined to get the gang out of the gun-running business, something that becomes even more of a priority when it’s discovered that a pupil who carried out a high school massacre used one of their weapons. As well as the regulars, newcomers to the franchise this season include one-time Robocop Peter Weller as a cop-turned-crime boss, Kim Dickens ( Treme ) as a brothel madam and CCH Pounder ( The Shield ) as an ambitious DA. Sons Of Anarchy remains something of a guilty pleasure – the testosterone levels are off the chart – but Sutter has always strived to bring a Shakespearean dimension to this gang of not-always-noble bikers and the devastating finale paves the way for what should be an awesome final season. John Ferguson

ALBUM of the

FAITH NO MORE SOL INVICTUS The reformation tango is notoriously tricky. When a loved act dip toes back in the water, the results can be judged harshly – no matter how much the world’s changed. When Faith No More last released an album, Clinton was still US President and no one had heard of Monica Lewinsky. The World Trade Centre still stood, and a ‘Facebook’ was something printed in the back of Ivy League yearbooks. So how do the San Franciscans fare on the tightrope? Very convincingly indeed. Mike Patton’s

MONTH

storming ferocity and ability to lift the band (and the songs) to their heights is – crucially – intact. Nor does a single moment sound tired or

GAME of the MONTH

the flesh. For those that don’t appreciate being beaten to a pulp by real people, the story mode offers much for long term fans of the series, and the lore caters marginally to newcomers as well. The return of favourites like Johnny and Cassie Cage is much appreciated, and it’s intriguing to see how much they develop by the story’s end. The addition of new foes like Erron Black and Ferra & Torr is also a welcome development that brings new light to the acclaimed series. Mortal Kombat X is an essential pick-up for fighter fans new and old. Come for the grotesque fights, stay for the gorgeous new character variations. Yet another Flawless Victory from NetherRealm. Paul Jones

MAY 2015 JB Hi-Fi www.jbhifi.co.nz

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