All posts by Metal Jesus Rocks
Ranking all 61 Stephen King novels in 19 minutes or less!!!!!
YouTuber Jimmy Mango is a massive Stephen King fan and read all of his books. This is his ranking of all 61 main Stephen King novels, minus the collections of short stories (so no The Mist)…and I have to admit it’s a great ranking! I haven’t read every single book like he has…but it made me want to add several to my backlog. Check it out!
Vinyl Oddities: The Weird Side of Record Collecting
This video from reccollect highlights some of the coolest, craziest and weirdest vinyl record releases in the past 50 years. Some truly amazing gems here.
Music has seen its fair share of unusual releases, where artists really put their creative hearts (and possibly sanity) on the line. Here are five of the strangest ways people decided to distribute their music:
1. The Frozen Record (Shout Out Louds)
Swedish band Shout Out Louds released a single made out of ice. Yes, ice. Fans had to pour water into a custom mold, freeze it, and then play the fragile record before it melted. Listening quickly became a race against time. “How’d you like it?” “Well, I think I heard the chorus before the puddle on my turntable shorted out my speakers.”
2. The Chocolate Record (FC Judd)
In a rare attempt to combine auditory and digestive experiences, avant-garde electronic musician FC Judd created a playable record made of chocolate. This one hits that sweet spot: you can listen to it once, then chow down on it when you’re done. The downside? It sounds great until you reach the drum solo, where a suspicious crunch indicates you’ve just bitten off half the bridge.
3. The X-Ray Record (Soviet Bootlegs)
During the Cold War, enterprising Russians recorded banned Western music onto used X-rays because vinyl was strictly monitored. They called them “Bone Records” because they were literal X-ray images of skeletons. These were like the mixtapes of rebellion, complete with visible femurs. Imagine trying to explain to your friend, “Here’s that Beatles album… oh, and also, that’s Olga’s broken leg.”
4. The Blood Record (Kiss)
In true Kiss fashion, the band decided to mix their own blood into the red ink used to print their comic book in 1977, but Gene Simmons later hinted it ended up in a vinyl pressing too. So, yes, die-hard Kiss fans can say they literally own the band’s DNA. Just don’t expect it to pass any basic health inspections if you accidentally scratch yourself with it.
5. The Urine-Infused Record (Matthew Herbert)
For his 2019 release, experimental musician Matthew Herbert pressed vinyls using the sounds of his bathroom breaks, from the actual flush to… well, you get the idea. Yes, the album cover practically screams, “Sanitize after handling.” This was one record release that truly had fans divided: collectors loved it, but hygienists… not so much.
Music may be timeless, but these records prove that sometimes, it’s also best enjoyed on regular vinyl!
MASSIVE NEW GAME STUFF 78 – Happy Console Gamer
Johnny Happy Console Gamer shows the video games and collectables he picked up at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo (PRGE).
Happy Console Gamer is like your ultra-nostalgic, joyfully eccentric friend who treats each old video game like it’s an ancient artifact unearthed from a forgotten age. Johnny, the channel’s mastermind, is all about spreading the love for classic games with a near-spiritual enthusiasm that could make you feel genuinely moved about, say, Faxanadu or the “magic” of the Dreamcast. His set? A retro wonderland filled with neon lights, towering game stacks, and anime treasures that practically smell of vintage 80s bliss. Tune in if you want a warm, nerdy hug of gaming nostalgia—because Johnny is on a lifelong quest to make sure everyone knows just how amazing his childhood games really were.
How I Play Retro Video Games These Days! MiSTer with RGB to a CRT & Emudeck!
Lon.Tv shares what he uses to play retro video games, from the original Atari and NES to Sega Saturn, PS2 and even Xbox 360. Lots of good info and solutions from the MiSter project, to emulation on the Steam Deck and connecting to a CRT with a lightgun. Good stuff!
Here are some of the most beloved methods for diving back into the retro video game classics:
1. The Raspberry Pi Shrine
Imagine a small, raspberry-sized computer you can worship for all its retro gaming glory. People pour their heart and soul into decorating their Raspberry Pi cases with LED lights, custom decals, and little totems of Mario or Sonic. You might think it’s overkill for a device that could fit in your pocket, but retro gamers know the joy of transforming a $40 gadget into a virtual time machine. Just don’t forget to bring a magnifying glass to actually play anything.
2. The “Totally Legit” Desktop Emulator
This setup requires downloading highly legitimate copies of Super Mario World, meticulously organizing every ROM, and downloading the fanciest emulator to get that authentic “my computer is on fire” experience. Between tweaking settings to get the frame rate perfect and dodging ads on those sketchy ROM websites, this is a labor of love that teaches patience. Bonus points if you manage to find one that doesn’t crash every time Mario jumps.
3. The Franken-console Build
There’s an entire subculture of folks who would rather hack old consoles themselves than use a plug-and-play emulator. Dust off an old NES, unscrew some plastic, add a Pi Zero or some hidden SD slot, and voilà – you’ve got a barely-working Frankenstein console that plays everything from Pong to EarthBound. Sometimes it even works. Other times it sparks. Either way, that soldering iron burn on your hand is proof you’re hardcore.
4. The Flash Drive of Mystery
This one’s for the committed and resourceful: they carry a flash drive loaded with emulators and ROMs everywhere. Plug it into any unsuspecting device – your grandma’s old Windows 7 laptop, a friend’s smart fridge, the work computer during a lunch break – and boom, they’re deep in a game of Zelda II before you can say “IT support.” The trick is having a thumb drive so suspiciously loaded with games, you’re ready for any retro gaming challenge that comes your way.
5. The All-in-One Retro Handheld – aka “The Portable Time Machine”
Why settle for modern graphics on the go when you can have a handheld that fits in your hand, overheats, and drains battery in mere minutes? With brands like Anbernic and Retroid pumping out nostalgia-packed handhelds, you’re basically carrying an entire arcade in your pocket. Be prepared to explain to people why you’re “playing Game Boy in the 2020s.” (Just flash a picture of Tetris and say, “Because it’s Tetris!”)
6. The Couch Potato Box – aka the Mini Consoles
Remember the NES and SNES Classic consoles? Gamers rushed to buy these little pre-loaded cuties, sat them next to the TV like trophies, and proceeded to play them once before they became collectors’ items. They’re adorable, they’re simple, and they deliver retro bliss straight to your living room without frying your PC – just try not to cry when that non-expandable game list starts feeling a little stale.
These retro emulation methods prove one universal truth: there’s no wrong way to travel back in time to save a princess or collect a ring – as long as you’re almost breaking your device in the process.
Testing PS2 & GAMECUBE on latest ANBERNIC handheld.
Review of the ANBERNIC RG406V playing PS2, Gamecube, Wii and Dreamcast games.
Extra 15% Off Code: MetalJesusRocks
RG406V Game Console: https://bit.ly/3U695t3
The sixth generation of gaming consoles, ah! The early 2000s—a glorious era when tech was just powerful enough to bring our gaming dreams to life, yet clunky enough to make us yell at our TV screens. Picture this:
- PlayStation 2 – Sony decided to make a console that doubled as a DVD player. No one cared much for DVDs until the PS2 arrived, and then suddenly, everyone’s mom had a reason to let this console into the living room. It had a library of games longer than the Lord of the Rings series, and you could never resist buying more, even if the backlog was a mile deep. But let’s be honest; we all spent more time replaying Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and running over NPCs.
- Xbox – Microsoft’s first foray into the console world, and it showed. This thing was about as subtle as a bulldozer, weighing in heavier than a small child and looking like an oversized VCR on steroids. But it came with Halo, which made it the coolest kid on the block. Multiplayer mayhem on Halo turned living rooms into battlegrounds, and “frag” and “teabag” became part of our vocabularies for the next decade.
- Nintendo GameCube – The adorable purple lunchbox that could. Nintendo went for a square design as if they were trolling the competition. Everyone laughed until Super Smash Bros. Melee dropped, and then suddenly no one was laughing because they were all too busy smashing controllers and friendships. It even had a handle, so you could bring it over to a friend’s house—a good thing since you’d need it for Mario Kart Double Dash parties.
- Sega Dreamcast – Sega’s final hurrah in the console wars, the Dreamcast was the hip, misunderstood sibling of the generation. It introduced online gaming before any of the others, even though most of us had dial-up Internet slower than a sleepy snail. The Dreamcast had games with more originality than half the consoles since, but its fate was doomed by Sega’s previous console misadventures. It’s like that artist friend you wish had made it big but ended up selling pottery on Etsy.
This generation brought us memory cards, clunky graphics that we thought were “realistic,” and the timeless habit of yelling at your sibling for screen-peeking. If gaming consoles were people, the sixth-gen would be that quirky friend who’s super talented but hasn’t quite figured out how not to make a mess.
A look back at Wing Commander (1990 PC Game)
Modern Vintage Gamer takes us back to what made the original Wing Commander PC game so special.
Wing Commander is like jumping into a soap opera… in space! Imagine you’re a hotshot pilot battling evil feline overlords called the Kilrathi (think if your cat grew up on bad vibes and space lasers). Your job? To protect the galaxy while bantering with crew members who have enough drama to fill a few seasons of Days of Our Lives. Between missions, you wander the ship like it’s a floating high school, bonding with friends and frenemies alike, where everyone’s perpetually one botched mission away from a total meltdown. It’s basically Top Gun meets The Lion King—if Simba had claws and wanted to vaporize you.
Then there’s the gameplay, which serves up a blend of dogfighting chaos and cinematic tension. One moment, you’re blasting through Kilrathi fighters with a grin, the next you’re facing a mission briefing that sounds suspiciously like an episode recap from Battlestar Galactica. Sometimes you’re sent on reconnaissance (a.k.a. “please don’t die, we need intel”), but more often you’re thrown into the galactic version of a food fight—except the food is lasers, and the lunchroom is filled with explosions. It’s frantic, cheesy, and gloriously over-the-top, making it the perfect interstellar drama for anyone who ever wanted to fight space cats while managing their crewmates’ emotional baggage.
Metal Jesus Rocks & Radical Reggie – PRGE 2024 – Portland Retro Gaming Expo
Live panel at the Portland Retro Gaming expo about “How to collect video games in 2024”.
XBOX right now.
Where my head is at when it comes to Xbox. I give you my thoughts on the new Xbox announcements and tell you what I’m looking forward to in the future…. And I talk a little about Game Pass. WATCH >> https://youtu.be/ciuQHmFoSf4
The Xbox Series consoles are like Microsoft’s love letter to gamers who can’t decide between “super powerful” and “super sleek.” On one hand, you’ve got the Xbox Series X—a rectangular, monolithic fridge look-alike that has the power to launch you into a parallel dimension of 4K gaming. It’s so beefy, it could probably double as a space heater in the winter. Just make sure to keep your snacks out of its vent holes, or you might accidentally toast them. Meanwhile, it’s got more teraflops than most people know what to do with, which sounds impressive, but let’s be honest, most of us are just using it to reload our Skyrim save for the thousandth time.
Then there’s the Xbox Series S, the X’s little sibling that skipped leg day but still manages to be pretty buff. It’s like the cute, mini-fridge version of the Series X—compact enough to tuck under your arm if you need a portable source of frustration when you’re losing at *Fortnite*. Sure, it doesn’t have the same raw power, but it’s the little console that could. The Series S is all like, “Graphics? Who needs ’em, I got speed!” and for those who want to game without taking out a second mortgage, it’s the budget-friendly option that still lets you yell at your TV in glorious 1440p resolution.
Top 5 HORROR MOVIE Hidden Gems 💀
Here are five lesser-known horror movie “hidden gems” that have flown under the radar for many but offer unique, chilling, and thought-provoking experiences:
1. Lake Mungo (2008) – Directed by Joel Anderson
An Australian found-footage horror film that blends psychological horror with supernatural elements, Lake Mungo is presented as a mockumentary about a family grieving their daughter’s drowning. It’s eerie and unsettling, relying on atmosphere and emotional depth rather than jump scares. The film’s slow build of dread makes it a standout in the found-footage subgenre.
2. The Invitation (2015) – Directed by Karyn Kusama
This slow-burn psychological thriller follows a man invited to a dinner party at his ex-wife’s house, where the atmosphere becomes increasingly tense and bizarre. The Invitation excels in creating a claustrophobic feeling of paranoia and unease. It’s a masterclass in tension, with a shocking and satisfying climax.
3. Session 9 (2001) – Directed by Brad Anderson
Set in an abandoned mental asylum, Session 9 is an unsettling psychological horror film that follows a crew of asbestos cleaners who begin to experience strange occurrences while working in the decrepit building. The film expertly uses its location to create a haunting atmosphere, with a sense of dread that builds throughout, culminating in a chilling finale.
4. Pontypool (2008) – Directed by Bruce McDonald
A Canadian indie horror, Pontypool offers a unique twist on the zombie/infection genre. Set almost entirely in a radio station, the film follows a shock-jock DJ and his crew as they receive reports of a strange virus spreading across their town. What makes this film distinct is the idea that the virus is spread through language, making for a cerebral and tense experience.
5. The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016) – Directed by André Øvredal
This chilling supernatural horror centers around a father-son team of coroners who are tasked with performing an autopsy on an unidentified woman. As they begin their work, they uncover increasingly bizarre and terrifying secrets about the body. The confined setting and excellent pacing make The Autopsy of Jane Doe a hidden gem with a terrifying atmosphere.
These films offer fresh takes on various horror subgenres and deserve a wider audience due to their innovative storytelling, atmosphere, and psychological depth.