ThisFunktional Magazine Volume 4 Issue 1

Table of Content

Letter from the editor

Movies of the Month

Movie Review:

Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar

September Album Releases

Album Review

Dethklok “Dethalbum IV”

Movie Feature

Aristotle and Dante Movie

Interview Feature

Halloween Horror Nights

Angel of Light

Bring on the METALOCALYPSE

Written by Jesus Figueroa @ThisFunktional

several elements, develop multiple characters, and establish so much lore.

Going back and watching the seasons over before watching the movie helped to not only keep the story and the prophecy which the series creates fresh, but it helped to appreciate the great derail which is put into this lore.

After the heroic rescue of Toki Wartooth, DETHKLOK frontman Nathan Explosion finds himself traumatized in a BRUTAL professional and romantic flat-spin all while he is tasked with fulfilling the prophecy and confronting the ultimate songwriting challenge: write the SONG OF SALVATION and save the planet. Can Nathan Explosion look beyond his brutally damaged ego to save his band, stop the Metalocalypse, and finally face the ultimate evil: Salacia?

While 4 seasons have prepared viewers for a final confrontation, there is still so many unexpected elements that come in the story and

THE WAIT IS BRUTAL – Dethklok waits to meet the Song Guru. Photo courtesy of Adult Swim.

supporting characters.

Murderface does play a bigger role, but Dethklok in general is a background character to Nathan as well.

There are some returning supporting characters outside of the Dethklok band and organization, but the true villain of the story is brought forth in a concrete manner for Dethklok to face.

There is a few action scenes throughout the animated film, but just as important are the scenes of dialogue which touch upon a few topics which have been issues that Dethklok struggled with throughout the series and that become even more prominent in the film.

When viewing the trailer, expectations for the animated film may be high, but there is still so much more that is to be seen, and BRUTAL is an appropriate word for it.

“METALOCALYPSE” was never shy of including some gore and intense scenes and the animated film does not shy away from being as intense.

Along with the release of “METALOCALYPSE: ARMY OF THE DOOMSTAR,” available now on Blu-ray, Dethklok’s DETHALBUM IV, available now, and Dethklok on tour with Baby Metal on THE BABYKLOK TOUR 2023 will be coming to a city near you.

September Album

DETHKLOK

Dethalbum IV

Available now

1. Gardener of Vengeance

2. Aortic Desecration

3. Poisoned by Food

4. Mutilation on a Saturday Night

5. Bloodbath

6. I Am the Beast

7. Horse of Fire

8. DEADFACE

9. Satellite Bleeding

10. SOS

11. Murmaider III

Freya Fight As One

September 22

1. Nothingness or God

2. Sense of Doom ft. Hatebreed

3. Fightas One ft Madball

4. 1000 Yard Stare ft. Terror

5. Back To Haunt

6. Flames of War

7. Never Say My Name

8. Beyond Despair

9. Omens

10. Destructive Path

11. Odin

Album Releases

Stitched Up Heart To The Wolves

Available now

1. To The Wolves

2. Thunder

3. The Hunting

4. Possess Me

5. Immortal

6. Taste For Blood

7. Conquer and Divide

8. Dead Inside

9. The Architect

10. Part of Me

11. The End

RONNIE ROMERO

Too Many Lies, Too Many Masters

September 15

1. Castaway on the Moon

2. Mountain of Light

3. I’ve Been Losing You

4. Too Many Lies, Too Many Masters

5. Girl, Don’t Listen to the Radio

6. Crossroad

7. Not Just a Nightmare

8. A Distant Shore

9. Chased By Shadows

10. Vengeance

Winterstorm

Everfrost

September 22

1. Origin

2. To The End Of All Known

3. The Phoenix Died (Remember)

4. Circle Of Greed

5. Future Times

6. Everfrost

7. Final Journey

8. Fate Of The Atlanteans

9. Crusade

10. Overcome The Fear

11. Silence

Dethklok brings

Written by Jesus Figueroa @ThisFunktional

After about a decade, Dethklok returns with melodic heavy metal album “Dethalbum IV,” available now. While metal music has been evolving and being accepted more and more throughout the music world, Dethklok brings forth an album that is heavy, majestic, and still in the same style that Dethklok has had from the start.

With a new album comes a new tour. Dethklok pairs up with Baby Metal for the BABYKLOK TOUR 2023.

The brilliance of the instrumentals of the “Dethalbum IV” begin from the opening track, even as gardening tools can be heard as part of “Gardener of Vengence.”

Still the power riffs of lead guitarist Skwisgaar Skwigelf are creative, profound, and unrelenting.

“Poisoned by Food” showcases the guitar bringing in great solos.

The vocals for Nathan Explosion are a deep grumbling metal style grunt which is common amongst metal music, but in Dethklok fashion the grunts are just the right amount of intensity and melody.

From song to song the vocals resonate, intensify, bring forward a strength which makes each song a stellar metal anthem.

“Bloodbath” shows the brilliance of Nathan’s voice as it battles throughout the song with shredding guitar riffs, deep bass notes, and mind blowing fast drums and yet ending peacefully.

Rhythm guitarist Toki Wartooth compliments each instrument well withsteadypaceandbringingtogether the ensemble.

Drummer Pickles has probably one of

the most impressive performances as the songs have such fast almost Bassist William Murderfaces stays true to metal music with deep bass notes which bring forth a strong tone in Nathan’s voice.

the BRUTALITY

After about a decade of waiting for new music from Dethklok, the “Dethalbum IV” does not disappoint and brings metal fans a brutal album.

“METALOCALYPSE: ARMY OF THE DOOMSTAR,” available now on Blu-ray,

along with Dethklok’s DETHALBUM IV, available now, and Dethklok is on tour with Baby Metal on THE BABYKLOK TOUR 2023, coming to a city near you. Do not miss out.

A Journey Reveals

Written by Jesus Figueroa @ThisFunktional

This coming-of age story self-acceptance while traversing unsure.

Self discovery is a tough everyone should feel safe and whom they truly are.

“ARISTOTLE AND DANTE OF THE UNIVERSE” takes men who have different personalities. For fans of the book, by the thrilled to find out that the director Aitch Alberto wanted film as possible, but brought made the story feel more universal “That was probably the letting go because I was such also wanted to honor it and thoseadaptationsthatveer that’s where they fail,” Alberto true to the book, even if it adifferentmedium.Soallowing and give myself permission experience, to do this beautiful and my own life.”

Alberto produced a touching, showed an incredible story in films.

Resentful at the world, Mendoza wants to blend in summer he meets free spirit local swimming pool, everything everything Ari isn't, and artistic spirit shakesomething has a friend.A near magical Aristotle’s world, introducing and lessons about the Aristotlepermission to live universe, making it harder maintain the façade of isolation him for so long.Their summer an abrupt halt when the boys

Journey of self-Discovery Reveals Universal Secrets

Figueroa story brings forth thoughts of traversing through a life that is tough enough journey, and and proud to show everyone

DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS viewers through two young personalities. the same name, they will be the filmmaker, script writer, wanted to stay as true to the brought in some aspects which universal and personal. biggest challenge. It was such a fan of the book. But, I and I didn’t want to be one of veertoofarawaybecauseIfeel Alberto said. “A lot of it is very looks different because it’s allowingmyselftoexplorethat permission to bring in my own beautiful melding of this book touching, beautiful film which story that is not commonly seen world, 15-year-old Aristotle in and be left alone, but the spirit Dante Quintana at the everything changes. Dante is his wanderlust for life and shakesomething loose in Ari; finally, he magical being, Dante disrupts introducing him to music, poetry, the sky. Dante gives live in an ever expansive harder and harder for him to isolation that has protected summer of adventure comes to boys are torn apart. Armed

About the

with a new perspective, Aristotle uses Dante’s absence to understand who he wants to be in the world. Ari must decide if he is going to live in the world of infinite possibilities that Dante represents. At first fear holds Aristotlehostageandheretreatsinto his lonely existence. But Ari soon realizes he can’t unsee the world through Dante’s eyes. If only he would let go of the secrets he didn’t even know he was keeping and embrace the wonders of the universe.

Ari, much like any high school student, stumbles through his time in high school doing everything he thinks is normal to do.

The household Ari grows up has many aspects of a household of the time. The dynamic of the family is sincere and reflects what many households would have been like in general.

Through Ari finding himself, he tries to also have his family in mind. Much like many teenagers, family is important and the support group they build up through their chosen family as well can lead to difficulty in life.

Ari’s story takes on many obstacles due to the rigidity of his character’s personality.

Theneedtobewhatheconsidershis family’s concept of normal to be like causes conflict which is visible

Everybody really showed lot of love for the were playing, a lot and a lot of love for

“

the Cast

throughout the journey he takes.

“Everybody really showed up with a lot of love for the characters they were playing, a lot of love for me, and a lot of love for the story,” Alberto said. “They were so passionate about doing exactly that. Of how do I show the pain of not realizing who you are but really wanting to unlock that.”

Dante is a much more free spirit or easy going character, but still the journeythischaractertakesisnotan easy one either.

While this character has a more relaxed family and environment to grow up in, the struggle is just as difficult.

While Dante does come to terms with his homosexuality much sooner, it still continues to cause some turmoil as this character tries to figure out exactly what being gay mean.

What combines these characters is the journey they take in their own manner to self-discovery, selfacceptance, and self-love.

“The sort of universal thing about this story, and whats the foundation about this story, is love.”Alberto sait love may look different. The way we show that love may look, the way we receive that love may look different, but it’s all rooted in love.”

From the beginning this movie has a steady pace which can be slow at times.

showed up with a the characters they lot of love for me, for the story.

–Aitch Alberto“

In an era which superhero movies spend little to no time developing storylines and throw action scenes out in abundance, this movie can feel like there’s not much happening.

The journey is not filled with external conflict, but the pain these characters go through is clear and obvious.

There are many small moments that impact each character profoundly.

The actions these characters take develop the personalities which come forth in the climax.

“ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECrETS OF THE UNIVERSE” is an emotional, captivating, and beautiful coming-of-age story that captures tough situations in a respectful and well depicted manner.

This has been one of the best dramatic movies to come out this year and a refreshing unique movie.

“ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE” is out now in theaters.

Photo for ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE courtesy of Blu Fox Entertainment

Thank You Blue Fox Entertainment

Written by Jesus @ThisFunktional

Listen to Writer-Director Aitch Alberto speak about her recent project “ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE,” out in theaters now.

For The gamer community, “HEROES” creator Jason Michael Paul discusses putting together this concert experience that brings many of the iconic scores from some of the most famous games.

Latest from YouTube.com/ThisFunktional

incredible people from all parts of the YouTube.com/ThisFunktional. Everyone has their happy to provide a platform for about their journey and their passion.

Listen to Costume Designer Rocio Estrada talk about her experience working with the cast members on Season 2 of “This Fool.” “This Fool” season 2 is available now on HULU.

Indie musician Tanner Adell talks about her songwriter-singer journey and one of her catchiest country tracks to date “Buckle Bunny,” available on digital platforms now.

Another Year Horror Nights

Written by Jesus Figueroa @ThisFunktional

Universal Studios Hollywood continues their tradition of bringing forth a thrilling and excitement filled night with Halloween Horror Nights, open on select dates through October 31.

Each year Halloween Horror Nights is filled with the most high quality horror mazes in collaboration with top tier horror franchises, for 2023 it was even better than expected.

“Evil Dead Rise” was one of the most creative experiences, having had Evil Dead in years past an evolution of the same type of scares was expected, but what was provided was a haunted house which took from the movie and revamped the entire Evil Dead haunted attraction.

The haunted house felt new and the jump scares were frequent, but far from repetitive or annoying.

Several of the scenes which made the movie scary were include in the haunted house or a variation of it.

“Stranger Things 4” was another attraction that had been a part of past Halloween Horror Nights, but with so much that was part of the latest season of “Stranger Things” on Netflix, it felt like a brand new experience.

Much of the classic style of it stayed the same, but even with the familiarity of the scenery, the aspects of the scares evolved to more than just Demogorgens jumping out time and time again.

Some of the more psychological aspects of the “Stranger Things” adventure get brought to the maze and bring out a new dimension for the maze.

“The Last of Us” attraction was yet another creative take on a franchise which has seen much success as a video game and a television show.

With already a large following and different iterations of the property it was hard to imagine

Year of Halloween Nights Excitement

this being a surprise, but once again it did do many things right and while it was not the scariest attraction it still ranked high on the list of mazes to do again.

“Holidayz in Hell” was another returning maze, but it too evolved and felt like a brand new attraction.

With the inclusion of new holidays, the scares were unique and the take on these warped versions of the holidays were good.

“Universal Monsters: Unmasked” is another attraction that evolved and still stayed one of the consistent attractions.

While coming back from years past, Universal monsters are some of the most iconic monsters to hit the big screen and one of the most thrilling mazes in years past.

This maze continues to use the iconic monsters in a great way while improving upon aspects of the maze year after year.

Forthosewhowillbebuyinggeneraladmissiontickets,choosingbetweenmazesmightbe something to do.

It seems impossible to get through all the mazes when some can have more than 120 minute wait time, and sometimes some attractions breakdown causing even more delay.

“Stranger Things 4” and “Evil Dead Rise’ should be prioritized as they are probably the ones which were the most thrilling.

The Express Pass is much better as it gets front of line privileges,, but even then with the 10mazesthisyearandstillhavingsomewaittimesof30minutesatsomemazes,skipping the shows may be a good way to do all the mazes.

Then comes the RIP tour passes which for those looking to do everything in one day would be the best bet.

Aside from having a tour guide, the passes also get front of line, and priority seating to the shows, it practically guarantees that attendees will get through the entire line up of attractions.

The Stellar Bar which is an 80’s themed bar for “Stranger Things” serves several drink, all which are sweet with a small taste of alcohol included which adults with a sweet tooth will enjoy.

Arrive early and enjoy as much of the event as possible.

"ANGEL OF LIGHT,'' A HAUNTING NEW IS COMING TO LOS

“Angel of Light,” a haunting new theatrical immersive experience, will debut at the historic Los Angeles Theatre on September 15.

Created by ODEON, a leading immersive experience and technology company, in collaboration with Fever, Angel of Light features an original storyline created by Chris Anastas and Mark Binder, in which attendees are transported back to Old Hollywood in 1935 to witness the gripping and terrifying story of Rota Krisha – where ancient curses, sonic secrets, and demonic possession intertwine.

The experience is set in the 1930s as guests are transported back to the Hollywood Golden Age and find themselves at the Los Angeles Theatre to see Rota K. Preston’s debut vocal performance. Unbeknownst to the audience, the ancient Angel of Light curse is revived that evening – and attendees will relive the chaotic and unsettling tale through the combination of live performances, elaborate sets, and ornate artistry.

The experience uses advanced technology to take those who dare deep into the past, including the power of Dolby Atmos sound, projection mapping, shifting light and music, and power strobe lights.

During the 60-minute experience, guests will be given unprecedented access to the historic venue while being guided through various immersive spaces that fuse technology with live theater.

This includes underground Catacombs, theater dressing rooms and a grandeur-filled ballroom complete with eerie and demonic characters, and the LED Possession Cube room projecting a kaleidoscope of mind-bending images and footage taken from inside the mind of Rota. The experience culminates in a finale live performance by Rota in the main theater which will leave a haunting impact.

In "Angel of Light," the story unfolds in the early nineteenth century when a hexed girl, Rota Krisha, plagues a small rural village.

The villagers turn to Father Nicolai, a priest known for his “spiritual sound healing,” who discovers that specific structures elicit a binaural effect when singing or chanting is performed within them.

Hopingtosummonanangeltocountertheevil presence, the villagers bring Rota into the ancient catacombs for a special ceremony. However, it takes a dark turn when Satan himself is unleashed, wreaking havoc among those present.

Theeventsunfoldinacataclysmofhorrorand

chaos, but Rota Krisha manages to escape to America, where her life remains uneventful. That is until she marries a sound engineer in Los Angeles…

The Angel of Light experience and storyline serves as a prequel to the upcoming film "Hex," set for a 2025 release as part of an anthology from Parma Pictures.

Chris Anastas, co-founder of SoundFi and the writer and creator of the "Hex" film, collaborates with Mark Binder, accomplished sound designer and re-recording mixer. Mark is the founder of IMN Creative, known for its advanced Dolby Atmos immersive mix stages.

Mark’s work has impacted creators like J.J. Abrams, Michael Bay, the Russo Brothers, including films such as Paranormal activity,

IMMERSIVE THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE, ANGELES THIS FALL

to in storyline "Hex," anthology the film, accomplished Mark its

Grey Man and the number one franchise on netflix, Extraction I and II.

For this project, Chris and Mark deviated from the conventional approach to launching immersive experiences.

Instead of creating an immersive experience based on an existing IP with a devoted fan following, they opted to introduce an entirely fresh fictional universe to the public which is just the beginning of an “unholy anthology” centering around a mysterious cursed character.

“From our original recordings of late 20s and 30’s music to the unique custom soundscape creation that spans over 30 rooms of audio, which includes notable Dolby Atmos experiences, audiences will delve into the

chilling depths of horror and be immersed in a world that blurs the line between reality and nightmares,” Mark Binder, Angel of Light CoCreator added.

“Thesecondguestsstepthroughthethreshold of the theater, they will be fully transported back in time to relive the chilling tale of the Angel of Light curse. Through a captivating fusion of technology and classic theater with live actor interactions, our goal is to create a truly innovative, unforgettable immersive horror experience,” said Chris Anastas, fellow Co-Creator of Angel of Light.

The Angel of Light experience will also offer food and beverage items for guests and a special limited VIP Experience beginning on Friday, October 13 through October 31.

stages. J.J. Brothers, activity,

Photo courtesy of ODEON