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Rock Band DLC Breakdown
Our unique, by-the-instrument verdict of new downloadable tracks
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
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Arranged alphabetically by ranking
Devil’s Island | Megadeth | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
The beginning solo may lull you into a false sense of security. Don’t you believe it! Devil’s flurry of notes seem a little easier for the Megadeth-challenged to wrap their head around. As difficult the licks may appear they’re fun as hell once acclimated, especially the main riff. ****
Hands Down | Dashboard Confessional | 80MSP, $0.99 PSN
This is the sad dude with the acoustic guitar and tight black T-shirt? He must be trying to shake that image of “emo personified” ‘cause the song’s anything but slow and sad. It does damn near everything right for an up tempo song: frantic strums, extremely pleasant note scales and handy hammer-ons just where you need them. Hate the band? This is enjoyable enough to grow on you. Dammit? ****
I Ain’t Superstitious | Megadeth | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Bluesy Deth? If you’re wading a buddy into the timeless sound of Megadeth, this would be the track. A little slower and the walking scales make a lot more sense than shotgun spray of notes witnessed in other songs. ****
Shhh | Darkest of Hillside Thickets | 80MSP, $0.99 PSN
Kicks ass, pure and simple. Starts off with a frantic rock strum, then leads into of the most satisfying licks we’ve seen in a while. Not only does it “Rock” harder than any other DLC song in recent memory, it f***ing rules! ****
Bad Omen | Megadeth | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Obscenely difficult hammer-ons abound! And you’ll need the lightning fast timing of a fighting game if you want to avoid failing out like we did. Speaking of hammer-ons, BO’s got some ferocious hammer-on power chords that mock us. But we like a challenge. ***
Bad to the Bone | George Thorogood & the Destroyers | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Apart from the iconic main riff and the waits in between, there’s a LOT of variation, and a lot of quick fingerwork required to keep up with it. ***
The Camera Eye | Rush | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Noisy squeedles and gratifying note progressions make this one of the more rewarding Rush guitar entries. ***
Chiron |All That Remains | 80MSP, $0.99PSN until 10/9/08; 160MSP, $1.99 after 10/9/08
This track would’ve been right at home in a Castlevania game. Slightly slower, more manageable and much more fun than the last two. ***
Don’t Make Me Wait | Locksley | 80MSP, $0.99 PSN
Guitar riff leads the whole song, so it forces you to pay attention to the beat and not just the notes. Another radio hook that gets stuck in your head. ***
Limelight (Original) | Rush | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Probably the simplest, most enjoyable song in the pack. Still pretty repetitive, though. ***
Love Spreads | The Stone Roses | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Ahh… the perfect mesh of neck work, progression and all around difficulty. Hammer ons and offs are staggered working up and down the neck and it's mostly the same pattern throughout the song, so once you’ve got it you’ve got it – and once you’ve got it crank it to expert. ***
My Last Words | Megadeth | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Contains one of the more pleasant solos Megadeth’s ever summoned. Less difficult than the others, while remaining pretty f**king difficult! Also, it’s my Mom’s favorite song! ***
Natural Disaster | Plain White T’s | 80MSP, $0.99 PSN
Opens up with a great hook - too bad it only appears twice. Other than that it’s a pretty good mix of everything. Great to play, and we’re as shocked as anyone after that idiotic “Delilah” song. ***
She Does | Locksley | 80MSP, $0.99 PSN
Throwback riffage with double strums that would make The Who proud. Or Jet. Or happy Wolfmother. ***
Shoot the Runner | Kasabian | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Not many chords, and the whole song felt like one long solo. ***
Skullcrusher Mountain | Jonathan Coulton | 80MSP, $0.99 PSN
A damn catchy tune, even if it won’t crack the greatness of his “Still Alive” stratosphere. There’s a bunch of great walking notes to finger through. Semi-catchy, but that may not be enough to get folks to master some of the strangest chord-based hammer-ons Rock Band has ever seen. Rewarding and challenging. ***
Stop! | Against Me! | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Really diverse and challenging – lots of variation demands repeat play to get it just right. ***
You’re No Rock N Roll Fun | Sleater-Kinney | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Really repetitive, but still up-tempo, fun and challenging. ***
All Over Again | Locksley | 80MSP, $0.99 PSN
Riff keeps you interested, but the drums lead the song. **
All Right Now | Free | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Fun solo, but overall pretty slow and repetitive. **
Charlene (I’m Right Behind You) |Stephen and the Colberts |Free
Fairly simple and slow. Very cheesy, but hey, it’s free. **
The Conjuring | Megadeth | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
For such an extreme finger workout, they really could’ve been more charitable with the hammer-ons. There’s a great bridging sequence, but this one definitely gets old. **
Cream and Bastards Rise | Harvey Danger | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Overall repetitive, with lots of two-finger chords that demand sudden splits to pull off. **
Get Your Rock On | The Janitors | 80MSP, $0.99 PSN
Typical radio-friendly licks. Lots of sustained chords and roving notes that go from green to orange in about a second. Not that great, not bad either, and at half price it's sort of worth it. **
Girls on Film | Duran Duran | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Aside from the world-famous lead riff there's not much for shredders. **
Girl U Want | Devo | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
The lead riff will get stuck in your head, if only because you'll be playing it non stop. Good layout but repetitive as hell. **
Good Mourning/Black Friday | Megadeth | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
The opening lets you know you’re about to descend into the mouth of Hell. There’s crazy ass hammer-ons all over the place, in every possible order and direction. Frantic, but to the point where it barely resembles music. **
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Livin’ on the Corner of Dude and Catastrophe | MC Frontalot | 80MSP, $0.99 PSN
A repetitive set of riffs peppered with and two simplistic solos and a whole lotta silence in between. But how can you complain when the song’s going for half the normal asking price and all the proceeds are going to charity? Extra star for philanthropy and affordability! **
Nearly Lost You | Screaming Trees | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Kind of an interesting melody, with some challenging fingerwork, but overall sort of dull. **
One of THOSE Nights | The Cab | 80MSP, $0.99 PSN
The riffs here are challenging enough, but Da Cab falls back on pop-punk monotony. This isn’t a music review, but repetitive strumming just gets boring no matter how fast they throw it at you. Better luck next time. **
Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) | The Offspring | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Lots of variation in the guitar riffs it throws up, and just challenging enough to be fun. **
Red Barchetta | Rush | 160MPS, $1.99 PSN
As with most Rush songs, this is tough and repetitive while remaining fun to play. **
Rio | Duran Duran | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
More of a rhythm guitar than lead (bass gets all the attention). There's a tricky solo but not a lot else. **
She Sells Sanctuary | The Cult | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
A finger-stretching intro quickly gave way to a lot of confusing two-note-then-one-note chord progressions. Pretty repetitive overall.
**
She’s a Handsome Woman | Panic at the Disco | 80MSP, $0.99 PSN
Not terrible, just too damned easy. You’ll play the same set of notes sets over and over, and the dual solos are incredibly short and exactly the same. **
This Calling |All That Remains | 80MSP, $0.99PSN until 10/9/08; 160MSP, $1.99 after 10/9/08
Initially rough, confusing and frustrating, but gives way to a pleasantly mellow chorus and a fun solo. **
Through Being Cool | Devo | 160MPS, $1.99 PSN
Relaxed fretting with a strong solo, but as with the drums and bass, it's a drain to play. **
Tom Sawyer (Original) | Rush | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Features a lot of chords with far-apart notes that'll make your fingers feel like they're doing the splits.**
Two Weeks |All That Remains | 80MSP, $0.99PSN until 10/9/08; 160MSP, $1.99 after 10/9/08
Almost all fast, single-note progressions – very tough at first. Solos practically demand the use of the high fret buttons. **
Vital Signs | Rush | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Lots of tightly packed two and three finger chords to nail, so it’s active, but well, it’s Rush and therefore highly repetitive. Middle of the road. **
Wake Up Dead | Megadeth | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Be prepared, because just about every song here is cruel and without pity. If you’re the type that needs to master a song, these will definitely take you a while. In that sense a lot of play for your buck, but Megadeth haters need not apply. **
YYZ | Rush | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
The tempo feels a little uneven, like the notes are slightly slower than the rest of the song. Also a lot of keyboarding that could have been converted into guitar notes. **
Gone Away | The Offspring | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Slow, repetitive and more than a little dull on guitar. *
Push It | Static X | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Most of the song was just the same two finger-straining, two-button chords over and over again. So repetitive it actually became confusing. *
Self Esteem | The Offspring | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
REALLY repetitive filled with long stretches of nothing to do. More of a bassist/vocalist song. *
Witch Hunt (Part III of Fear) | Rush | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Slow and boring. Very, very meh. *
