One of my favourite metal bands of the last few years has been Mastodon. Their first three albums showed their evolution from violently heavy sludge metal into a more progressive metal band. Album number four, Crack The Skye, was the album Mastodon fans were waiting for them to make and it’s only $5 right now.

Written largely by guitarist Brent Hinds, while recovering from an altercation with System Of A Down’s Shavo Odadjian which left Hinds in a coma, it is a swirling, dream-like but intermittently heavy album.

Raising Unicorns
Your Step-by-Step Guide to Starting and Running a Successful – and Magical! – Unicorn Farm
Written by Jessica S. Marquis
Illustrated by Kevin Hedgpeth
Adams Media
Released August 18, 2011
Paperback: $13.95

Raising Unicorns: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Starting and Running a Successful – and Magical! – Unicorn Farm is a joke that goes on far too long. Jessica S. Marquis offers excruciating details on such things as the many varieties of unicorns, how to select the breed that’s right for you, how to dress so you don’t scare a unicorn, and how much glitter each variety farts.

The Ledge
Blu-ray | DVD
Directed by: Matthew Chapman
Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Terrence Howard, Patrick Wilson, Liv Tyler
IFC/MPI Home Video
Release Date: September 27, 2011

Movies and faith, when blended well together, make magical partners.  Be it great pieces based around specific biblical events or narratives surrounding those who may be questioning their own faith due to hardships encountered in their lives, cinema plays as a wonderful vessel for filmmakers looking at giving the world distinct and singular takes on what makes organized religion so pertinent in today’s culture.

The Ledge isn’t that film.

The Kindle ebook deal of the day over at Amazon today is The Vampire Shrink by Lynda Hilburn for only $1.99 (that’s 80% off the regular price of $9.99).

Note – this deal is valid only for today, Sunday, October 30, 2011, until 11:59pm PST.

Watching AMC’s The Walking Dead is an all-consuming experience for me. I can’t shut up about it for days after, and its really awkward when people start tripping over my dropped jaw. In the interest of my sanity, I decided to transcribe my thoughts about each episode as they happen, rather than let them build up and bubble over into one giant “SQUEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!” that can be heard several towns over.

For Season 2, Episode 1: What Lies Ahead, I’ve compiled a running commentary here, complete with approximate minute marks for reference.

Before you proceed, I must say that there are SPOILERS ahead, so if you haven’t seen this episode yet (SHAME!), go watch it now! Right now. I’ll wait. Ok no, I won’t, so here goes…