lari

I'm a Hawks fan, and that's why I picked the Predators. It seemed to have worked in round 1, so I'll just keep on picking the other team. Which is actually easy, since the Wild were the team I predicted to win the Cup.

Well, anyway the Canucks were the worst team in the playoffs. Flames being the second worst.

I'll admit to it. I had both Vancouver and Calgary finishing behind the Oilers. 5th, 6th and 7th in their division, by a few point margin, with the Canucks being dead last. With Coyotes being bad again, and California teams regressing (aside from the Ducks), this division really is the weakest anyway. Ripe for an emerging Oilers dynasty, now that they just got McT and Kevin Lowe the hell out of their hockey operations.

Pre-ordered. One of my favourite bands. You can see my CD collection here

Hawks win in double-OT. Flames beat the Canucks with :30 left in regulation

The first couple of game ones are done. Habs beat the Sens 4-3 after a wild second period. PK Subban probably gets suspended. Isles beat the Caps 4-1. In Nasvhille, the Predators started fast and took a 3-0 lead after one. But then the Hawks took over, and it's 3-3 after two. Flames - Canucks just started.

It means regular season record means nothing. What Montreal did from October to January. You know what I meant. Ottawa's caught fire lately and will be a tough team to beat. Kane being back might tilt the balance a little in the West. Or even in the whole playoffs, If he's healthy enough to make a difference. 9/10 nhl.com experts pick the Hawks to beat the Preds, and 6/10 think they'll go all the way: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=763063&navid=nhl:topheads I think the Hawks are a bit of a mess, but with the Kings out, Hawks are probably closest to being the team to beat right now. Other teams have to prove they can beat the Hawks, not the other way around, and until they have, Hawks are still "the man".

EASTERN CONFERENCE New York Rangers (1st in Metropolitan Division) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (2nd wild card) The Rangers were my pick to win last season, before the season started. I like what they have. Best defense you will find anywhere, top class goaltending, they also went deep last year. What's not to like? Problem is the Penguins are a mystery team. They have the single best hockey player in the world playing for them. Despite their recent slump, they have unbelievable potential if they manage to break through. A tough matchup to predict. Prediction: New York Rangers in seven games. Montréal Canadiens (1st in Atlantic Division) vs. Ottawa Senators (1st wild card) Regular season means nothing. The hottest team will advance, and there's no team hotter than the Ottawa Senators. Hamburglar will lead the Sens to victory. The Habs will maybe take one game, but this won't be too close. Prediction: Ottawa Senators in five games. Tampa Bay Lightning (2nd in Atlantic Division) vs. Detroit Red Wings (3rd in Atlantic Division) The Bolts haven't proven to be a great playoff team yet. The Red Wings are traditionally a successful franchise. However, they've been kind of bad for a couple of years now. Beyond the top two teams, this division was a little easy, so don't be fooled by "ooh it's the Red Wings". This is not a contending team. They'll still put a scare on Bolts fans, but this series is Tampa's to lose. Prediction: Tampa Bay Lightning in six games. Washington Capitals (2nd in Metropolitan Division) vs. New York Islanders (3rd in Metropolitan Division) A team on the rise against a one-trick pony. Well, the Caps do have more structure this season with Barry Trotz, and Ovechkin isn't a minus million. Still, I like the Islanders here a lot. They are a fun team to watch, and if they play up to their potential, they will break Holtby and advance. Ovechkin will be closely guarded, and can not and will not score. Prediction: New York Islanders in four games. WESTERN CONFERENCE Anaheim Ducks (1st in Pacific Division) vs. Winnipeg Jets (2nd wild card) Ducks looked solid in the regular season, but the Jets have been impressive lately. Neither team has quality goaltending, so I don't expect either to advance past round one, but it'll be a damn good battle here. The Ducks have some of the biggest stars in the league, but I'll take the Jets in a 7-game series. It'll come down to heart, and a single bounce. Who has it, and who doesn't. Prediction: Winnipeg Jets in seven games. St. Louis Blues (1st in Central Division) vs. Minnesota Wild (1st wild card) The Blues have their share of playoff ghosts to shed. A perennial post-season underachiever, after the regular season they had, this team needs to win this year. Problem is, they just got unlucky and are facing the single hottest team in the league. Ever since Devan Dubnyk joined the Wild he's been like a godking from Mount Olympus, or something. The Blues might be the higher seed, but I really don't think they have much of a chance here. The Wild are stingy, they play tight, they have unreal goaltending and regular season means nothing. Prediction: Minnesota Wild in four games. Vancouver Canucks (2nd in Pacific Division) vs. Calgary Flames (3rd in Pacific Division) The Flames have been doing well lately, but they don't really have the kind of material to go deep. The Canucks don't either, but they've got a pair of superstars that can make a difference here. It's a tough matchup to predict, and I like the Flames better, but honestly I've got to pick the Nucks. Prediction: Vancouver Canucks in six games. Nashville Predators (2nd in Central Division) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (3rd in Central Division) Having watched the Hawks and having seen the Preds quite a lot too, this is a pairing of two bad-looking teams of which either could potentially go deep or even win it all. IF they played up to their potential. After a miraculous first half, the Preds have been cold this whole calendar year. Rinne let a Vezina slip by, and is back to being a mortal. Hawks haven't won a game in two weeks, but they are a playoff team and can tune in quickly. Without their most clutch playoff performer Pat Kane though, I'll take the Preds. Prediction: Nashville in five games. And I think we'll see the Wild beat the Senators in the cup finals. Unless the Rangers and Chris Kreider can knock off the Hamburglar in the East Finals!

Thanks for this, Bill! I haven't played in probably like 10 years. I just now got inspired and finally got off my proverbial ass and downloaded the game again, and also put your updates on it. Just getting started with my own fed now.

They should pass a law that Kai Hansen should be allowed to do anything he pleases. Walls of Jericho is an amazing record, and Hansen's thin, trebly voice is a perfect fit with the chaotic, thrashy speed metal Helloween made at the time. Later on he's become a better singer technically, but he's still got enough of that rough edge.

I love Kai. Heavy metal through and through.

Early Axxis is a good one. Rainbow usually works for me too. Especially their AOR phase with Graham Bonnet and Joe Lynn Turner. *snip* Wait, now there's another person on the planet that knows Axxis?! Let alone likes their music? What the hell - now I'm not kvlt anymore! Yeah. I discovered them when they were on Tour with Helloween in 07/08. I have to say I enjoy their later material from their power metal phase more than their earlier stuff. My favourite album is probably "Doom Of Destiny". Especially everytime when the male and female singers have a screaming battle to determine who can hit the highest notes. I saw them on that same tour. With Helloween and Gamma Ray - what a lineup! I discovered them just a year or two prior to the show, and by that time I only had one of their CDs: Back to the Kingdom. I discovered them by accident on Youtube. I believe I was searching for a Dio-era Black Sabbath live version of Heaven and Hell, and on top of finding it, I got the usual random assortment of partial hits. Among them was Axxis' "Heaven in Black" with a silly anime video. Being a little bored I clicked on it thinking it's probably shit... ...blew my mind! Halfway through I was still kind of thinking it was awfully geeky and lame, and that they're a bunch of Scorpions-wannabes, and "is this heavy metal? They even have a guitar solo!" By the end of it, I was sold. I had to play it again. Great music, great musicians, OFF THE CHARTS in their sense of melody, and they do it all without conforming to what is hip. They just do their shit, like it or not. And it's most definitely a love it or hate it type of band, starting with that trebly, piercing voice of Bernhard Weiss. I now own: Kingdom of the Night Axxis II The Big Thrill Back to the Kingdom (digipak) Eyes of Darkness (autographed) Time Machine (digipak w/bonus video game) Paradise in Flames (digipak) Doom of Destiny (digipak) Utopia (digipak w/bonus, autographed) 20 Years of Axxis DVD+2CD reDISCOver(ed) (autographed) Kingdom of the Night II black/white 3CD deluxe box (they only released 666 of these) I ordered a bunch of these from their website and they tend to sign quite a few of them

Early Axxis is a good one. Rainbow usually works for me too. Especially their AOR phase with Graham Bonnet and Joe Lynn Turner. *snip* Wait, now there's another person on the planet that knows Axxis?! Let alone likes their music? What the hell - now I'm not kvlt anymore!

Axxis - Touch the Rainbow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yPp7TnPCqM

I haven't heard the new one, but I own a copy of Chapters from a Vale Forlorn, and it's a great record. Originally it was the lead singer that caught my attention. Such a unique baritone voice for this kind of music (European power metal is 99% tenors), but he still packs a punch and makes the band stand out.

1. Star One - Victims of the Modern Age Heavy prog metal that exceeded all my expectations when it came out in 2010: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX5t8iy9FfY 2. Axxis - Kingdom of the Night II - White Edition 3. Iced Earth - Dystopia 4. Saxon - Sacrifice 5. Blaze Bayley - Promise and Terror 6. Rage - Strings to a Web 7. Battle Beast - Battle Beast 8. Helloween - Straight out of Hell 9. Uriah Heep - Into the Wild 10. Mystic Prophecy - Ravenlord Yeah, I like heavy metal. Songs:

You changed your format in the last two posts and now there's no bolded "Band Name - Song Title" line anymore. That was a good feature. Just thinking that it'd be easier to catch up to this thread later on, when you're up to the last few songs and half the earlier Youtube uploads have been taken down. Say, in a year or two (yeah, I don't check this board that often )

MSG (Michael Schenker Group) - Let Sleeping Dogs Lie MSG - Courvoisier Concerto MSG - Lost Horizons MSG - Doctor Doctor MSG - Ready to Rock From the One Night at Budokan album (1982), played on my CD player and with good headphones.

21. I think before that I was a bit more insecure, and it was around that time when I figured I am just going to like what I like, no matter what others think, or no matter how unpopular it is. So now I like Axxis

A great one, it was. "I'm a wheel, Im a wheel, I can roll, I can feel and you can't stop me turning"

Axel Rudi Pell. I never heard his music until I ordered a 5CD box set a month ago. I had heard OF him, and figured his music would be right up my alley. One of those great classic heavy metal guitarists. I saw that box set for little money and how some of the lead vocalists featured were none other than Rob Rock (one of my absolute favourites ever) and Jeff Scott Soto. I quite liked the music. Actually I think my favourite CD turned out to be the debut, Wild Obsession, that features the current Foghat lead singer Charlie Huhn.

I know I missed the voting, but what the hell, it wouldn't have mattered anyway since I doubt anyone likes what I like. And I have time now so I'll just post a list. 1. Savatage - Wake of Magellan 2. Blind Guardian - Imaginations from the Other Side 3. Angel Dust - Enlighten the Darkness 4. Dio - Holy Diver 5. Iron Maiden - A Matter of Life and Death 6. Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell 7. Iced Earth - Night of the Stormrider 8. Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith 9. Mystic Prophecy - Savage Souls 10. Star One - Victims of the Modern Age 11. Skyclad - A Semblance of Normality 12. Iron Maiden - Powerslave 13. Nightwish - Once 14. Valley's Eve - Deception of Pain 15. Rage - Black in Mind 16. Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime 17. Axxis - Paradise in Flames 18. Stratovarius - Visions 19. Annihilator - Carnival Diablos 20. Pink Cream 69 - Sonic Dynamite

I just gave myself a Christmas present and preordered a bunch of CDs coming out early next year: Pink Cream 69 - Ceremonial JAN 23rd Saxon - Sacrifice (2CD digibook version) FEB 27th Helloween - Straight out of Hell (ltd edition digipak) JAN 18th Circle II Circle - Seasons Will Fall JAN 28th

Thanks for the replies. So, we have three suggestions. I'm still puzzled, but hey, we'll work this out. Is it a clown, a white hole or 'it'? Let's see how we can fit the answers to the lyrics. My comments are on italics. LYRICS: CLOWN: Can you feel A CLOWN ,see A CLOWN, hear A CLOWN today? / no, and that'd be weird already If you can't, then it doesn't matter anyway / okay, thanks for wasting time then You will never understand A CLOWN 'cause it happens too fast / clowns don't happen And A CLOWN feels so good, it's like walking on glass / I don't think it's a clown... NEXT WHITE HOLE: A WHITE HOLE is so cool, A WHITE HOLE is so hip, A WHITE HOLE is alright / ...could be, though I find it odd Faith No More has an opinion on this A WHITE HOLE is so groovy, A WHITE HOLE is outta sight / hey this somehow makes sense, are we on to something... You can touch A WHITE HOLE, smell A WHITE HOLE, taste A WHITE HOLE so sweet / no But it makes no difference 'cause A WHITE HOLE knocks you off your feet / NEXT! IT: You want IT all but you can't have IT / I do want it. IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. IT is cryin', bleedin', lying on the floor / no, that's not it then So you lay down on IT and you do IT some more / ??? You've got to share IT, so you dare IT / I think IT is not the answer. Then you bare IT and you tear IT / Definitely not.