New DLC - Blink and you'll miss Kiss it

This week in Rock Band, we get another trio of 3-packs: A live bundle by Kiss; some popular songs by Blink-182; and a few classics by Weezer. Those, plus a single song by someone called Damone. Usual prices for everything: 440 MSP/$5.50 for the 3-packs or 160 MSP/$2 per track.
Here's what's on offer:

Kiss Pack
100,000 Years (Live)
Deuce (Live)
Parasite (Live)

Blink-182 Pack
Down
Feeling This
The Rock Show

Weezer Pack
My Name is Jonas
Pork and Beans
Undone – The Sweater Song

Damone - Out Here All Night
Note: Click on any song for expert drum/band videos.

Now, this may come as a surprise to you, but I actually bought some songs this week! It's been a while, and some of the tracks sounded like fun, so I felt it was time to pick up those drumsticks again. I purchased a couple of the Kiss songs, as well as The Rock Show by Blink-182. Yes, I know it's really a pretty terrible song, but it's catchy and has some decent drumming in it. The first thing I want to say is that these may not have been the best tracks to play after a few weeks without practice because they're hard. I knew what I was getting into, though, but wasn't so sure how it would end.....

The first track is The Rock Show, which fits into drum tier 5. Remember, it the difficulty goes from 0 to 6 and this is the easiest of the songs I bought. Basically, the pattern isn't that tough, although there are some drum rolls throughout. The thing is, the whole song is really fast, which makes it quite tiring - think Bad Reputation. This also makes the drum rolls a little harder to follow, but nothing that a little warm-up couldn't fix. Not bad, overall, and one that I'll probably come back to.

Next is Parasite (Live), which is also in drum tier 5. This is where things start to get hard. I don't know quite how to describe it, but it feels kind of like a tougher version of Detroit Rock City, with a fast back-and-forth beat between hands and some a quick kick drum rhythm. The constant fills are where I have trouble as many of them are faster than the rest of the beat. This is an area I know I'm not good at - where fills don't follow 4/4 timing. I think that's the right way to describe it, but I could be wrong. Either way, they're difficult. Overall, a fun track that I know I won't tire of too quickly.

Finally we have 100,000 Years (Live), which is all the way up in drum tier 6. It's been a while since I bought a new song in this tier, and I forgot how tricky some of them can be. I'll be honest - I failed out of this one a few times before I decided to go into practice mode. It's got a fairly steady kick drum, only it's on the offbeat, which makes it tougher. You're also going back and forth between hands during this, and while I found the groove after a few minutes of practice, I still have to give it my full focus to keep that combo meter up. Then there's the middle. This is a long drum solo that doesn't appear too different from songs like Orange Crush - 16th notes with steady kick drum. The only thing is, it's not 16th notes. I think it's in 3/4 timing, and this makes a big difference as you need to apply the foot pedal on alternating left and right hands. I really had to force myself not to slip into the much more familiar rhythm, but once I had the hang of it I was alright. The last part is like the beginning but with some tricky variations to the beat. Overall, really good, and a song that I hope to get a lot better at.

So, I was quite pleased with all the DLC I bought this week, especially the Kiss tracks. Rock Band just hasn't had the same draw for me as it used to, but it's songs like this that remind me of why I love the game so much: It's the thrill of learning a new technique and beating a track that seemed impossible at first. After having played so many songs, I can't help but notice the same recycled beats over and over again. Tracks that use them are ones I'll play once or twice, master, and never go back to. That's why it's so refreshing to try something that makes me say "Whoa! I've never seen that before!", even if this means I fail a few times while playing it. So basically, what I'm saying is - the Kiss pack is a must buy, and Rock Band is awesome!