Rock Band Download Low-Down: Week 39
Each week we’ll run out onto our website stage like roadies and review the latest Rock Band Downloadable Content. Check back every week! (And click here for all of our previous music DLC reviews.)
*NOTE: Each of the songs this week costs 80 Microsoft Points ($1). They are also available as the Roadrunner Records Pack for 480 Microsoft Points ($6).
Roadrunner Records Pack
WHAT ROCKS: Three of these songs have guitar and drum difficulty ratings of at least a nine out of ten. So if it's challenge you're after, then this pack is for you. Gameplay-wise, though, speed and time-signature changes are the order of the day. Airbourne's "Runnin' Wild" is probably the best overall song of the bunch, as its poor-man's AC/DC sound employs boring, repetitious speed-strumming on bass, but is a lot of fun on both guitar and drums (watch that last 10% on the skins!). It's also not painfully difficult. Machine Head's "Aesthetics of Hate" is a beast on drums. "My Curse" by Killswitch Engage has an enjoyable finger-walking guitar groove to it. Dream Theater's "Constant Motion" is actually not as scarily difficult as its rating suggests. DevilDriver's "Clouds Over California" will test your alt-strumming skills. Finally, "Sleepwalker" marks the long-anticipated return of Megadeth to a Harmonix game ("Hangar 18" was a final-tier song in Guitar Hero II).
WHAT SUCKS: The aforementioned Megadeth tune — on... any ...instrument — may just be too damn hard to be considered fun for most. And really, depending on how you like your Rock Band, the same could be said of most of the songs in this pack. And much of the vocals are of the "scream-o rock" variety, which isn't everyone's cup of tea.
FINAL VERDICT: If the Thrash Pack was your idea of fun, then this will make your day. For everyone else, there's no reason not to cherry pick the songs you want since they're a buck each and thus the pack offers no savings.
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zacattack5000
September 29, 2008 at 7:59pm
When i saw that they had a devildriver song, i bought it immediatly. Of course with the pack. Cause i knew i would want megadeath and dream theater too.
sHo76uNd3Wd
August 19, 2008 at 12:50pm
My Curse by KSE is absolutely awesome. Probably one of the best DLC songs yet. This pack is great. More songs like this please.
Terr0r Inc
August 19, 2008 at 10:51am
Megadeth - Symphony of Destruction Megadeth - Youthanasia Pantera - Cowboys from Hell Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power Iron Maiden - Best of the Beast Those would sell... alot.
themcfaceman
August 17, 2008 at 12:53am
this I feel was one of the better packs, especially for those who play GH time to time and do enjoy that extra challenge these type of songs pose.. Having jus got into Dream Theater, I thoroughly enjoyed playing Constant Motion, but I felt they could have put a catchier song like Root of All Evil, As I Am, or Forsaken on there. They were actually the reason I bought the pack, but I wasn't too disappointed b/c the BASS part is siiiiick and I thoroughly enjoy playing it. Slayer by Megadeth surprisingly became the unlikely favorite in this pack, with catchy vocals and sick guitar and bass. I'll hop on the drums for this too very soon. The other songs I don't really care much about, and wasn't very impressed either way but Aesthetics of Hate was ok even though I'm not really into that kind of rock. Rock Band needs to send us more DREAM THEATHER tho!! There's so many great songs to choose from. Besides the others I've mentioned, I'd LOVE 2 see the following: Voices, Pull Me Under, and Fortune of Lies above all else.. And maybe if Harmonix has the grapefruits, they can unleash upon the oblivious gamer-world the 24-min. epic that is Octavarium!!! P.S. I broke my guitar playing this pack...
dreadzombie
August 15, 2008 at 8:27pm
I'm guessing Constant Motion has a tier 9 band difficulty because the guitar part is so ridiculously hard. While all of the other parts are easy it makes many other tier 9 songs look very, very easy in comparison. Great song though!
DanktheUnderdog
August 15, 2008 at 2:45pm
YEAH!!! Finally DREAM THEATER, for all you gamers that don't know anything about music expect for what Guitar Hero and Rock Band show you. Two of the five members of Dream Theater are in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. John Petrucci is one of the fastest guitarist world (right next to Buckethead) and the drummer Mike Portnoy is sick. As for the rest of the pack, I thought that Harmonix's rendition of "My Curse" by Killswitch Engage was very well done, Megadeth is one of those song that you dread to come up on a random setlist if your the drummer and all in all i'd give this pack a HELLZ YEAH!
DarthAthema
August 15, 2008 at 9:29am
I don't normally buy into the whole "go play a real instrument argument" with regard to GH/RB (I guess because I do play a real instrument), but seriously, to the guy who thought "Sleepwalker" is too easy, I think you're done with rhythm games. You have obviously spent far too much of your life playing these games. You could have been the next Joe Satriani.
argon2467
August 15, 2008 at 3:22am
i liked the thrash pack. it added a edgy side to rockband, and dont get me wrong i like almost all the songs on rockband. i am a metal that would like to play some of the songs i listen too. thier are songs on the roadrunner pack that could have been avoided such as the machine head and airbourne. no one can do ac/dc right, but them. also i am a big fan of machine head just the album that asthetics of hate is on. it wasnt a promising album to me compared to the five previous albums realeased. i would like to see some sepultura,chimiara,slayer, or even nonpoint would be freakin awesome. but overall this pack was half good. i enjoy the dream theater song, and devil driver is seriously fast. megadeth is just a mallaur for your hand.
Ministry4390
August 14, 2008 at 12:29pm
The reviewer said that they are rated at least 9 out of 10 on guitar and drums but the ratings dont go up to 10, they stop at 9. So 3 of the songs in the pack have a guitar and drum rating of at least 8 out of 9.
xpects the xpctd
August 14, 2008 at 9:30am
Not a huge heavy metal fan, but my buddy freaked at the thought of playing Meagadeth, he loves 'em. But this ain't bad considering last week's quality.
chukky1728
August 14, 2008 at 6:11am
Yes that is an old photo, Dave Mustaine looks like he's about fifteen years old!
Steakslave
August 14, 2008 at 4:46am
Lol, that picture of Megadeth is from over 20 years ago! Anyway, I realize this is the Roadruner pack and they couldn't use their older stuff, But instead of "Sleepwalker" why didn't they include the much catchier sounding "Gears of War" from the same album? I figured with the video game reference it would've been a no-brainer. THAT song I actually would've bought.
instantdeath999
August 13, 2008 at 11:16pm
To the guy who wants harder songs... Play Guitar Hero. They tend to add notes that aren't even there. Rock Bands charts are very accurate to the music, who some people, like myself, enjoy more than "OMG look at all the notes!".
BGG001
August 13, 2008 at 8:58pm
Was glad to see Machine Head make their big debut of Rock Band, and it is by far one of the hardest drum songs avaiable in Rock Band, but remains to be fun, and guitar was a long of strumming. Hard to alt strum, hurts to go down-only (as most do). DevilDriver is a foot killer, fun guitar. Megadeth is odd to play on drums, very fun on guitar if your good at speed playing. The others aren't really noteworthy though, still fun but nothing really special about them.
deltaXkila
August 13, 2008 at 5:10pm
I only bought Sleepwalker. Biggest. Challenge On guitar EVER! Fun on vocals, though. My GamerTag is deltaXkila. I have too many friends on Xbox Live. I have no life.
ill sue y4
August 13, 2008 at 2:56pm
i downloaded constant motion and sleepwalker, let me tell you, you must not be sleepwalking to pass those songs buddy. constant motion is pretty awsome though.
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