I found out a few days ago that the search for an actor to play the lead role in a movie based on the life of professional wrestler Chris Benoit was on. I truly, honestly, have absolutely no idea how to feel about it. Will I see it when it comes out? Most likely, but there will be a lot of mixed feelings going into it. See, for the longest time, Chris Benoit was my favorite wrestler, next only to legends like Steve Austin, the Hart Foundation, and the Nature Boy Ric Flair. For those who don't know, Chris Benoit committed suicide in 2007, and when I first caught wind the he had passed, I was, as a wrestling fan, heartbroken, as we had lost one of the true greats in the ring. Then the next day I found out that not only killed himself, but his wife and son also died by his hand as well. I can honestly say after being a fan of the fake sport for 17 years (at the time), I was ready to just put an end to following it altogether. Was he one of the greats in the ring? Yes he sure was. But I was unable, and unwilling how anyone, no matter who they are or what they do, could commit such a heinous act. Thinking back to that summer of 2007 still turns my stomach at this day. Some say it was steriods, some say it was out of depression after losing his best friend Eddie Guerrero two years prior. But the culprit came in the form of his autopsy results, as Benoit's brain was compared to that of a 70 year old with Alzheimer's Disease, due to the concussions he suffered throughout the course of his career. I don't find this as an excuse, and I will indeed viewing this film with a lot of questions in mind.
Next order of business...
June 22, 2013. That is a day that will forever burn in my brain (for all the right reasons) and my heart (for even better reasons) for the rest of my life. Heather and I finally got married after being together for over two years. I feel like I finally did it right second time around, and Scotty Gets Hitched, Take Two was a resounding success. Friends came from out of town, every side of my family was represented in one way or another. It was a small ceremony, and we didn't exactly have a whole lot of money to throw around, but I didn't care about that. All I cared about was finally saying "I do" to the love of my life, and hearing the same words from her. To my wife Heather, my better half, my soul mate...I love you with all my heart and soul. Always remember that first and foremost, because I am a far better man for due to having you in my life.
I feel that my entire 33 years of being on this earth had come full circle, not only for that wedding day, but for the days following. I was presented, for the first time, face to face, with a whole other family that I may have known about, but was for many years unsure of how to approach. One of my brothers...yes, brothers...came to the wedding with his wife and kids, as well as my sister and her family. A family I had known about since I was 14, but was unable to do anything about until now. Add in a biological father, various nieces and nephews and a stepmother, and you pretty much have the whole package. And not only was I able to come face to face with all of these people, but I honestly feel in my heart that I was welcomed with open arms. I welcome them the same way, with wide open arms, no apprehension, and without hesitation. I feel that my family almost tripled in size, for not only do I have the family I grew up my entire life, but I married into a great family in their own right, and I also was welcomed into this new family. They know who they are as they read this, and I hope EVERYONE knows that I love them all equally, no matter what.
2nd Chance CD of the Week
Queensryche
Queensryche (Deluxe Edition) (2013)
Tracklist
X2
Where Dreams Go to Die
Spore
In This Light
Redemption
Vindication
Midnight Lullaby
A World Without
Don't Look Back
Fallout
Open Road
Queen of the Ryche (live)
En Force (live)
Prophesy (live)
Queensryche had always been one of my favorite bands since I was about ten years old. Their albums Empire (1990), Operation: Mindcrime (1988), & Promised Land (1994) rank right up there as some of my all time favorite albums. Hell their 1984 debut, The Warning is my all time favorite Queensryche album. Sure, the quality of their music had pretty much dipped downhill since the departure of long-time guitarist and primary songwriter Chris DeGarmo, in 1997. It sure as hell didn't help matters much when the voice of lead singer Geoff Tate slowly started going to shit over the years as well. Fast forward to a couple years ago when Tate was fired from the band because the rest of the group was sick and tired of his egotistical crap. After starting a fight with various members of the band, Geoff Tate was given the axe after almost 30 years with the band. I caught wind that he had later on put together his own group of musicians and had the gall to call them Queensryche. They released an album earlier this year and called it Frequency Unknown. That...was probably one of the absolute worst rock albums I have ever heard in my life. The whole CD sounded rushed, half-assed, and it was VERY clear that Geoff Tate just didn't have it in him anymore. This review...is NOT that CD. This review is the album released a couple months later by the REAL band known as Queensryche. Last year, it was announced that the band had enlisted in the services of former Crimson Glory vocalist Todd La Torre, in what can only be described as a much-needed shot in the arm, not only for the band, but for its fans as well. Todd La Torre, in my personal opinion, sounds like Geoff Tate singing in 1984. He's THAT good. When I first heard the album's first single, "Redemption," I was practically drooling, waiting for June 25 to come so I can run to the first place that had the album in stock. Of course, I opted for the Deluxe Edition of the album, as not only did it have a couple bonus tracks at the end of the CD, but a set of buttons, a patch, a band sticker of the album cover, and a guitar pick. Picking out favorite songs of the album, I'd have to go with "In This Light," "Spore," and "Redemption." Although I can easily listen to the entire album from start to finish without a single skip. There aren't many CDs that I can do that with. This is the REAL Queensryche, and as far as I'm concerned, this blows Geoff Tate's version of the band clear out of the water. Needless to say I am satisfied after hearing this, and I look forward to hearing what else the band has lined up for us.Thumbs way the hell up. 'Ryche on!
