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32 MAY 2015 JB Hi-Fi
visit BEST OF REVIEWS
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
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
GAMEof the
MONTH
Sons Of Anarchy:
The Complete Sixth Season
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
DVDof the
MONTH
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
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
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
ALBUM
of the
MONTH