STACK New Zealand October Issue 67

32 / 64

visit BEST OF REVIEWS
Destiny: The taken king
If you’re one of the few who’s put Destiny
aside since its release over a year ago,
here’s the reason you’ve been looking for to
pull it out and dust it off.
You killed Crota. Now, his father has
dubbed himself the Taken King, and
is raising an army hell-bent on your
destruction. Your job as a Guardian is to
prevent him from destroying the universe as
we know it. If you think that sounds like a
better story than Destiny is accustomed to,
you’re right.
Destiny’s latest DLC takes everything
Bungie promised us when the game first
released and makes it a reality. Experience-
based levelling, a revamped HUD and UI, a
new quest system, and the addition of some
talented voice actors have made The Taken
King worth every penny. No more getting
lucky in loot drops to get to the same level
as your mates, no more Peter Dinklage, just
good ol’ fashioned alien slaughter.
The AI are more alive, the rewards
are more satisfying, the Ghosts are
more useful... there is no end to the
improvements lining the halls of The Taken
King.It’s the grind minus the guilt. Let’s go.
Alesha Kolbe
THE LEFTOVERS
One of the best HBO series you’ve probably
never heard of, The Leftovers concerns a Rapture-
like event in which two per cent of the world’s
population mysteriously vanish. Rather than
delve too deeply into the nature of the event and
where all these people have actually gone, this
creepy and provocative series instead examines
the impact the disappearances have had on
those left behind. This isn’t a faith-based show
by any stretch; it’s a dark, violent and frequently
disturbing drama in the tradition of Stephen King.
There are also comparisons to Lost, given the
series was co-created by Damon Lindelof, who’s
one of today’s most polarising writers thanks to
his infuriating habit of never explaining what the
hell is going on. But in the case of The Leftovers,
Lindelof’s oblique plotting actually works,
investing the proceedings with an eerie vibe
that intensifies over the course of 10 episodes,
and amplifying the fear inherent in what can’t
be explained. Consequently, the viewer is left
as unsettled as the characters, but in the right
way – this is a show where less is more. The
focus is the small community of Mapleton, New
York, where the fallout from the event continues
to affect the residents three years later. The
presence of a strange cult known as the Guilty
Remnant, who have taken a vow of silence, chain
smoke and dress in white, and a messiah figure
who takes away the pain of lost loved ones, adds
further to the mystery. In the wake of a slew
of shows in which people inexplicably return
from the dead (Les Revenants, Resurrection,
Glitch), this bleak and enigmatic series delivers a
welcome counterpoint. The second season will
screen in October. Scott Hocking
Do
M
Fat Freddy’s Drop Bays
In the past, the beloved Wellington
groovemeisters have tended to write
and road test their songs while on tour
before committing them to disc. But
with this, their fourth studio set, most
of the writing was done in the studio,
and Bays is all the better for it. All the
things you love about FFD are present
and correct – Joe Dukie’s sweet soulful
vocals, the punchy horns, the seamless
switches between reggae and funk–
but there’s also room for some more
reflective moments, like the jazzy drift
of Makkan or the electronic shimmer
of Wheels. Fish In The Sea is another
standout, a mighty nine minute-plus
workout that builds slowly into a warm
but steely soul groove, before taking a
joyous left turn into Afrobeat two thirds
the way through. Bay’s other extended
jam, the synth-fuelled elastic rhythms
of Cortina Motors, is equally addictive,
while the largely horns-free Razor is
powered by a similarly muscular electro
pulse. Elsewhere, the loping skank
of Slings & Arrows will delight FFD’s
reggae fanbase, while the album is
bookended by two of their trademark
swampy funk grinds, Wairunga Blues
and Novak. Your soundtrack to summer
has arrived nice and early; make the
most of it. John Ferguson
GAo
M
32 OCTOBER 2015