Suren’s blog

Here are my favorite vocalists of the metal genre. This is only my opinion and is not necessarily based on technical matters.

5. Bruce Dickinson
Vocalist of the quintessential heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. You only have to hear The Number of the Beast album to know this guy has got the talent that helped make Iron Maiden the iconic band that they are today.

4. Geoff Tate
Operation: Mindcrime. Enough said. Geoff Tate is the lead vocalist of Queensrÿche. He peaked during the Operation: Mindcrime-Empire era. His range and emotion will blow you away.

3. Mikael Åkerfeldt
Lead vocalist of Opeth. I’ve heard only Blackwater Park and Damnation but his seamless use of clean singing as well as growling is mind blowing.

2. Daniel Gildenlöw
They don’t come more talented than Gildenlöw. I think all Scandinavians are born musically inclined. Currently the lead vocalist and guitarist for Pain of Salvation, just listen to the 12:5 album.

1. Ronnie James Dio
Dio is God. You’ve got to hear him to believe me. He’s got that perfect metal voice. Check out Holy Diver and Dream Evil.

My top ten list is very volatile. Its a mélange of James LaBrie (Dream Theater), James Hetfield (Metallica), Matt Barlow (Iced Earth), Bruce Lee Mani (Thermal and a Quarter), Rob Halford (Judas Priest), Ray Alder (Fates Warning), Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation) and a bunch of others. I’d recommend all of you try at least the people I’ve listed as top five.

Metal forever \m/

I had to take a proper passport size photograph of myself to attach to my résumés (and when I say proper I mean no malicious grin on my face, no trying out that I-don’t-give-a-crap look…). So this is the result of subduing my hair, evicting the creature perched on my chin, dressing up less barbarically and basically trying to look normal.

Is it a universal law that we must look weird in these photos or is it that we look strange when we pretend to be something we’re not? Think about it.

More Harry Potter hype. This is an entry from my old, abandoned blog which I thought deserved more attention.

I read Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings trilogy and one question is burning in my mind: who would win in a showdown between Dumbledore and Gandalf? I’ve made an analysis based on the skills I believe is important to a wizard.

Spell Casting:
Both of these guys are masters of the magical arts. The duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort (The Order of the Phoenix) in the Ministry of Magic revealed Dumbledore’s prowess and the showdown between Gandalf and the Balrog of Morgoth (Fellowship of the Ring) in the Mines of Moria showed us Gandalf in all his glory. Its hard to decide which one is more spectacular so the result is a tie.

Kicking @$$:
If it ever got down to a street fight between these two, I’d put my money on Gandalf. Let’s face it, he owned the Balrog in that fight (while they were falling down an bottomless pit!!). I don’t recall Dumbledore ever getting down and dirty. So the Heavy Weight Championship of the Wizards goes to GAN-DAAALFF!

Wisdom:
And when I say wisdom I mean the cool quotes that they say. This one goes to Dumbledore because Gandalf doesn’t seem to say much. The most poignant Gandalf quote is “…So do all who live to face such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” Dumbledore has a number of quotes up his sleeve like “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” (there are more quotes here.)

But in the end Gandalf emerges the overall winner because Dumbledore friggin’ dies (if you haven’t read the 6th book then I’m really sorry). So this is how I envisage a battle between these two legends.

First Gandalf would say ‘I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass.” and then break the ground under them which would cause Dumbledore to fall down and lose his wand. But right before he loses his wand, he casts a Banishing Charm which makes Gandalf’s wand fly away. Then Gandalf would whip out Glamdring (his sword) and advance on Dumbledore to make the killing blow, Dumbledore would say something like “It’s the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more.” which would trigger a debate on the ‘Nature of Death’ between the two wizards which ofcourse Gandalf would lose and in a fit of rage Gandalf slit Dumbledore’s throat and everyone will live happily ever after (except for Dumbledore who would be dead by then).