Chronic Potato Queen Writer would like to introduce you the reader what she got told in college by her college professor that is her calling in life. Reviewing films and music. I took a film 101 review class for my humanities for my failed nursing career. I would had a solid A+ in that class but I to fully withdraw from college in 2011 due chronic migraine plus my rare migraine condition spontaneous intracranial hypotension one in half a million births has, my disease is very debilitating. I will talk about it more further in the review.
I also would like to make a clause that I am dearly sorry to my long time readers. My health issues has not been great lately. I am struggling a lot. The crippling depression, constant migraines, and constant physical chronic pain has been keeping me pretty busy away from my hobbies and away from digital devices. So I am currently trying to keep myself above water and my pain levels at bay. I have been coping the best I can. But now that I am getting things together. My mental health and physical health somewhat are okay. I am well enough to tackle my love of rock and roll journalling. Let’s get this review started shall we.
As you all know I have wanted to review American Satan for the longest time. Well here we are. With huge topics we can talk about like the Illuminati, Satan himself, gluttony, sin, greed, drugs, sex, and rock and roll. This will get talked about a lot in my film review for American Satan which was written and directed by Ash Alvisden under his separate company Sumerian Films adjacent to his record company Sumerian Records. The soundtrack delivers a great various of ballads, hard hitters, and overall shit kickers that will crank out in any car stereo or any radio player.
The track list for the American Satan soundtrack:
- Me Against The Devil
- Hell Is For Children
- Let Him Burn
- Nights In White Satin
- We Lose Control
- Save A Prayer
- Cadeance Of My Heart
- Personal Jesus
- Forgive Me Mother
- Hey, Hey, My, My( Into The Black)
Me Against The Devil Is very lyrically crafted to let to let listener know the tale of ones triumphs with there inner demons. Whether it be sex, drugs, rock and roll, alcoholism, etc. Whatever the reason the person dables with there inner demons with. This song showcases it well in a funky up beat rock and roll vibe with a hard rock twist.
On a off note: Remington Leith’s vocalations for Andy Biersack’s character Johnny Faust made me really want to sit in a dark room just to review this album so I can just imagine what I am going to be in for. Remington’s vocals are very unique and special. With his band Palaye Royale. I am fan of. I am not hardcore into them. But I am fan of them. They are one of those bands that are going to go far. Props to Sumerian Records for signing them. Much respect. Remington’s singing voice over for Andy Biersack’s character was a good choice. Even though there is comment threads out there that says other wise. The other muscians who lend there craft and work to make either the soundtrack or the score happen deserve all the awards. Even though the film has received tons of nominations and awards already for it’s feature.
Hell Is For Children is another lyrically crafted song. Actually telling children hell is for them is however no bueno. lol. But this song has any personal meaning that anyone can relate to if you are bullied in school or your a kid in the system like foster care. This song is for kids who go through hell everyday of there lives cause life isn’t what it was 20 years ago were we all can be carefree. Kids are being killed at school, sexual assualted ( my personal experience #MeToo), raped, etc. Even the school teacher is the predator nowadays. So if you are a parent, foster, or gaurdian. Let your young one listen to this song. It is from a fictional band. But the meaning and purpose behind it is what needs to be told to youth of today. You’re not alone. Keep fighting. Hang in there.
Let Him Burn is what I got introduced to the Relentless. It’s what introduced me to the theme of what Ash Alvidsen took American Satan down to. It was the first song that promotional the film. The lyrically content is badass in sorts of the imagery of what all the nooks and crannies American Satan entails.
Nights In White Satin is a slower song on the soundtrack. It showcase’s the prowlace and retrospect of the beauty of what American Satan has to offer. I believe this song can be interpreted into anything the reader pinpoints it to. It can be dedicated to anyone who wants to woo there significant other or crush in a rock and roll fashion. It’s a song anyone can joy and bond over. Hell I can have a elegant date with myself and have a huge bowl of mashed potatoes. This is what this song reminds me of. I am weirdo. But that’s beside the point. Since Valentine’s day is coming up. Dedicate this song to your crush, wife, husband, etc. It’s a beautiful song with no need to explain it.
We Lose Control is one of the main shit kickers on the soundtrack. It’s the main call to arms for the film for the support of the Relentless. The gang chants for “American Satan” at the end of the song are haunting enough. Even though these songs on this soundtrack are made for a fictional band that will never tour. It will forever saddened the hell out of me this song will never get played live. The message behind the song has helped me out in a weird way. It’s told me to loose control of my bad habits and enjoy life more. Life is too short.
Save A Prayer, regardless of ones religious beliefs. I am remaining secular on this. This song has a lot to offer. Rock and roll is universal in terms of bringing lots of ethnic groups and cultures together into a huge melting pot. The same goes for religion in rock music. It attaches so main people’s beliefs into one massive Vin diagram or bubble map. The songs moto through the fictional band the Relentless tells there audience to not hold back on anything. “To say a prayer for the morning after.” Everyone sins in the world no matter how little or big. But the songs main purpose is whether if people commit sin or not. You got to face the facts in the morning. LOL.
Cadence Of My Heart is one of the other in your face tracks on the American Satan soundtrack by the Relentless. This song has a lot of piss and vinegar but offers the listener positive feedback of “No we have heart. We are rock and roll. If you don’t like it. There is the door.” The kickass not giving a fuck what you think but stay true to yourself vibes of the song is a dying need in rock nowadays. I love songs like these that have messages of “Fuck the man. But you create your own man.” type of messages. Music is often monotone anymore. Some bands release not so great material. Here a fictional band puts out all killer and no filler soundtrack.
Personal Jesus is a cover song by Depeche Mode’s original song “Personal Jesus”. From my perspective the cover was done amazingly well. I have heard a dozen covers of the song in my day of being 26 years old. Remington Leith did a damn great job on the cover. The lyrics are very classic as in. “Reach out and touch faith” has been used by several marketing campaigns for Halloween ever. Great choice for a cover song for a fictional band for the soundtrack.
Forgive Me Mother is standout to me lyrically. It’s a huge love and apology letter to mother’s. It reminds me so hard of Danzigs “Mother”. When we are at lowest or we go through the toughest of times the one thing we reach out the most to is our moms. They are our rocks. They carry us for 9 months and raise us for 18 years of our lives. Only to hope to release us out into the world thinking that the apple of their eyes will achieve greatness and sometimes it goes to shit. I love how this song focused on apologizing for the father sins and wanting to make there mothers proud. It’s very heartfelt. A song to be time frame for generations to come to dedicate to our precious mother’s. Especially mine, love you Mom, her name is Amber.
Hey. Hey, My, My,( Into The Black) is another stand out track to me on the the Relentless soundtrack. I love the meaning behind it. It’s a tradgey that we live in a time that even our music icons die. Death is never easy to deal with whether it’s natural causes, cancer, suicide, etc. The pain from it hurts horribly. But the music will live on forever of what these late icons have made. Even if Gene Simmons himself told people that “Rock and Roll is dead” it’s not. His world of rock and roll is dead. But ours is a blooming Spud sprout on crack. All I can say is if you lost a loved one, a favorite icon, etc. My love and support is forever with you. My condolences are with you. This song is for you people who couldn’t make it. Our rock and roll candle light shines bright for you, always. 🕯
The entire album was a hit. I would recommend anyone to get it where digitally and physically you can get the Relentless soundtrack to American Satan. Each of the musicians who either contributed to the recording of the soundtrack or to the films score deserves high praise. Those musicians are Johnathan Davis of Korn, Nicholas O’Toole a film composer, and Born Of Osiris guitarist Lee McKinney.
As I conclude this part of the review. I am SO EXCITED to start the review for the next part. Let’s get started shall we….
American Satan was written by Ash Alvidsen and Matty Beckkerman. It was produced, written, and directed by Alvidsen and for Sumerian Films. Alvidsen had help for the making of American Satan from the following people, Matty Beckerman, Andy Gould, Sean E. Demott, Aimee Schooff, Isen Robin, and Jeff Rice. Cinematography done by Andrew Strahorn.
The film adaptation was created by Sumerian Films with help of partnership film companies such as Intrinsic Value Films, Jeff Rice Films, and Miramax films. With the main film adaptation under Sumerian Films which is adjacent to Sumerian Records which is owned and founded by the writer, director, and producer Ash Alvidsen.
The American Satan cast is:
- Johnny Faust- Andy Biersack
- Remington Leith- BTS Johnny Faust’s Character singing vox
- Leo Donovan – Benjamin Bruce
- Vic Lakota- BooBoo Stewart
- Lily Mayflower- Jesse Sullivan
- Kat Faust(Johnny Faust’s mother)- Denise Richards
- Dylan James- Sebastian Gregory
- Gabriel- Bill Duke
- Hawk- Bill Goldberg
- Gretchen(Johnny Faust’s Girlfriend)- Olivia Culpo
- Cassandra-Tori Black
- Elias- Mark Boone Junior
- Mr. Capricorn- Malcolm McDowell
- Damien- Drake Bell
- Ricky Rollins- John Bradley
- Larry King-Larry King himself
Side note- There was a huge on set call for real fans to show up to be casted in the film. The Asking Alexandria family, the Black Veil Brides army, etc showed up in stride to show there prescene for this film in rock and roll history. I am proud of the fans that were able to be casted. Way to show rock and roll history in that pretents.
So now that the politics of the American Satan have been addressed let’s start my full assessment of this rock and roll masterpiece of a film.
I will address these things in my assessment, the theatrics of Satan, sin, my personal accounts of addiction with drugs, how this film has a huge impact for the #MeToo campaign, etc.
Let’s get the big topic out of the bag and discuss why I think this film should be used as a big educational tool as in terms for Satan and Illuminati. These things have been deeply discussed since the beginning of time. The Illuminati has been only discussed and discovered by deep web leaks or government undeclassified documents being unfolded by the secret service or CIA. With these images throughout the entire film. I believe that governmental and biblical education should be an option to society but it’s so feared nowadays due to all the chaos that is going on in the world today with bombings, genocides, religious sacrifices, etc. This film portrays a lot of this. But I as the reviewer am secular to the readers religious beliefs and opinions on religion. Whatever you believe in. You are entitled to it. I am going to respect it. It is what it is. The Earth should be ran that way but it’s fear that runs through people’s mines that causes mass hysteria.
American Satan portrays the pinwheel of sin, sex/drugs/rock and roll which branches out into the seven deadly sins. With that heavily portrayed on each character in film. Everyone portrays each a trait of sin or multiple traits of sins. Like Gretchen and Johnny Faust’s mother Kat were the ones that had there minds set on right in the whole film but they portrayed greed. While the rest of the cast portrayed the entire buffet of sins. I will tackle more of this throughout the review.
Like I said in the last paragraph the pinwheel of sin was portrayed in America Satan. One of those huge sins was drugs. Major drug use was used in the film. With the epidemic of opioid addiction (I sadly have a huge experience with it) on the rise. This topic needs to be addressed. I decided to fully express my experience with drugs abuse and use this film as an example of why I let people know first they are not alone. Second, never feel shitty about getting the help you need. Third, do it for you and you only to get sober.
I got heavily into perscription narcotics, nsaids ( over the counter pain killers, like Tylenol and Ibuprofen), and opioids back in 2009. It all started in November of 2009. It all started with the migraine IV pain meds when I got admitted for the very first time for migraine. I remember the high I got from it. Even though my pain is legit. I wake up everyday in chronic pain every day. I blame the medical personnel in my town for getting me addicted. I strived to find that high. It was so fucking easy for me at the time to get narcotics due to my health condition. This film made me fucking cry hard cause I was in Lily, Johnny’s, Vic’s, Ricky’s, etc shoes. Especially during their rock bottom moments. During Johnny’s and Ricky’s overdose scenes were really fucking hard for me to deal with emotionally and mentally. Especially Johnny’s cause I was given a morphine overdose in the hospital by illegitimate staff. Now I am allergic to the narcotic cause I overdose cause I had to go do a migraine IV again cause my migraines are near or close to the pain that suicide (cluster migraines) migraineurs feel. It’s cause I leak cerebral spinal cord fluid in my ears and nose. I can’t patch the holes were they reside. The rare condition it’s called is spontaneous intracranial hypotension. Only 1 in 50 million births sees this.
During my drug addiction. I heavily popped handfuls or cocktails of Ibuprofen Tylenol, Naproxen, hydrocodone, and whatever else I could get. I would go through three bottles of pain killers in week that had 90- 120 pills inside. The darkness these characters had to portray nails what the true victims of the epidemic are going through. As a person who continues to struggles with addiction. Loves how Elias tried to get Johnny and Lily help even though Lily refused it cause she wasn’t ready. Johnny took the opportunity and did it for himself for his characters mom Kat Faust. It’s a small world cause I hated a band called Black Veil Brides during my junkie years. I absolutely hated myself. I was just a big pos. During those three prominent years I hated BVB, myself, etc I spiralled down a life I never wanted to live. Eating painkillers like candy wasn’t the life I didn’t dream about. But my rock bottom came on January 27,2013. The day I became a believer In Black Veil Brides and the start of my new life. I was in the middle of committing suicide but ” In The End” came on then I reexamined everything. As one of my past reviews coins, I once hated BVB but now I am in love with BVB. If you can’t be them, join them( BVB army). I went to a life changing and intervention type of doctors appointment in Seattle, WA two months after I became a fan of BVB’s. March 22,2013 is the day I became clean of all pain killers and drugs. It’s stayed that way ever since. Even though I have had four major surgeries that really tested my waters of my anxiety and struggles with addiction. I got told by the doctor if I continued to eat pain killers like I was doing. My insides would be fried and I would be in kidney renal failure. Better yet, I would be mostly likely dead in two to three years tops. I am still affected by addiction. The medical conditions from it are horrible. It permanently flared my irritable bowel syndrome to even a worse stage. Ibuprofen eats the lining of the stomach if you prolong the use.
What sucks is that I was trying to seek pain relief in drug use. Just like what the characters were doing in American Satan. Whether it be turning to drugs or alcohol. The characters had to turn to a crutch to get them by. I am happy that I no longer have one. Even though I have my daily perscribed migraine meds and other meds. I don’t really rely on a pain killer anymore. All I remember doing was eating pain killers and sleeping. That’s all I did. But for funny features. The CNN interview with Lily and Vic about the bullying situations going on. Vic telling the newscaster when Vic was on psychedelics that he wanted to “Go lay down” the newscaster responded with a snarky response with ” I would like to go lie down myself.” Even though drugs are terrible. That scene was funny as hell, even though drugs are no laughing matter at time we are in but still dark humor. But on a serious note I would like to say, here is to almost being 5 years clean in March. If you are struggling. Keep fighting on and hang in there. You will get through it.
The coverage of how people like myself are supported by this film being either a victim of sexual assualt or rape. As you read anywhere on the headlines anymore the sexual assualt or rape accusations towards people in bands, Hollywood icons, etc. American Satan touches on the reality of control. Why woman in a male dominated scene or feild often times get victimized. But men do get victimized to. It goes for the lbgtq community as well. But in the music scene. Woman get treated unfairly still to this day. But I believe that woman are fighting back nowadays. With woman rock icons and rockstars paving the way for younger transpersons or female demographic to become there own rockstar and for their own individuality.
The scene were Lily tells Johnny were she was raped by Damien cause she executed his band under her own recognition. But he had to go and be douchebag and ruin her life by raping her. Damien was going to be a sacrifice kill to The Relentless for their ritual for Mr. Capricorn. Johnny Faust was going to save his life. But however, karma got to Damien and he ultimately killed himself via electric fence. Karma is a bitch.
I was sexually assualted on a feild trip on the way to go scout out careers to a local college. I got gaslighted and accused of faking it. I have to say silent just like Lily has to stay silent about her rape by her ex Damien in order to play clubs. As a victim I think it’s utterly bullshit. It’s sad that one of the reasons Lily has to use(herione) is in order to get rid of the pain from her ex aka Damien and what he did to her. I fully understand Lily’s pure angst and rebellion in the film. Jesse Sullivan played Lily’s character very very well. I really connected with that scene and the intervention scene with Elias and Johnny. But nowadays it’s the sad truth of what is going on today with the drug epidemic, sexual assualt and rape accusations, etc. I am just happy that this film touched on these heavy hitting topics even before the film was released.
This film has a lot of informative matter or educational purposes of how a band gets it’s start. The politics of being in the industry. The pros and cons of being musicians. The life styles one chooses as there rockstar life. But the big thing is that it shows the humanity, trials, and tribulations musicians go through. It only makes them stronger people in the end. No matter how how much they change throughout their career.
The death of Ricky hit me hard. Especially Leo’s discovery of him dead(Ben Bruce’s performance killed me, hard). Loosing a friend, loved ones, and even a pet is a tragic time. I would like to pay my dues. I would like to send my condolences and wishes to Ricky’s character and the cast characters. Just cause it’s only right to. The funeral scene hit me hard cause that would have been me if I wouldn’t have gotten sober. The reality of the drug epidemic is scary. I don’t take it lightly. But that scene was very eye opening and heartbreaking.
I really hope that this film is used for educational matters in high school and college for music based purposes. It’s a film that I believe that should have been created 20-30 years ago but it got created today by phonomenal creators. With the CGI affects greatly done on the one scene of the human sacrifice of Damien(,I am still highly impressed with the editor work and effects done on that particular one), multiple scenes of the Relentless telling the truth and process of how a band is ran in the film, the wisdom of Gabriel, the conspiracy theories of Mr. Capricorn, Johnny’s stint in the slammer, the overdose of Johnny Faust but was recanted by Gabriel, and the list goes on what educational matters music teachers can teach there class about the politics of having a band nowadays.
Even though the film features pornography material not suitable for suitable for younger audiences. I do believe that some of the material in the film can be seen be the younger audience on the grounds for educational matters to be expressed with a teacher or a parental figure/guardian. Like Lily said “There needs to be less guns and more sex. Less wars and more love. More fucking sex” Even though the the younger audience don’t need to be apart of the sex thing yet. Nor the drugs. Just more education and positivity in the lives of the youth of today. That’s were Gabriel comes in handy.
I will concluded this sloth review for Chronic Potato Queen Writer for American Satan on a high note. This film has a huge impact on the music scene. If you are fan of such films like “Dazed and Confused”, “School of Rock”, “Airheads”, “Rockstar” ,”La Bamba”, “If I Stay”, etc among dozens of rock and metal documentaries. American Satan is for you. It’s for every rock and roll fan out there. It’s a staple film for rock and roll history. Even though the ending threw me off for a loophole. I am excited to see what the TV series is going to be like. But there is one thing I am going to rant and be sad about for a very long time. It’s the fact that the Relentless will never be a real life band. Who knew a fictional band could be so badass. I am forever a fan. Fictional or not. Long live American Satan and The Relentless.
Written by: Mariah Hanna @PotatoBVBQueen 1/20/2018
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P.S. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to read my review. It really means a lot. Like Elias said let’s all “Shove it right up the ass of bigots so they will be shitting out pentagrams.” I intend to do that. Even though my dream as a rockstar faded when I found out I have a permanent debilitating disease that caused me to be disabled. I was gifted a new rockstar dream. You are reading it. The power of the review. The sloth kind.
I didn’t want to over analyze the film for those of you who haven’t seen it yet or waiting for your order to come in. I am very happy to not spoil the entire film for you.
The Potato Queen 