Reviewed: Rocking Out Against Voldemedia

This album was created to promote the Potterwatch section of the StopBigMedia campaign. To download it for free, visit www.stopbigmedia.com/potterwatch.

Don't be misled by the fact that this is a free album - the songs are very good quality, and are written and performed by some of the most popular wizard rock artists who are around today. Because of the album's objective, to promote a campaign against media consolodation, all the songs centre around the media, who controls it etc.

"Potterwatch" by Catchlove urges us to "Fight, fight, for truth...for integrity," which is an admirable sentiment in any respect and basically sums up the objective of the campaign. Not to mention, it's very catchy.

"(never) Do What You're Told" by the Remus Lupins is a wonderfully upbeat and catchy effort, all about rebelling against lies and bogus authority.

In "Here's the Scoop", DJ Lovegood portrays Luna sticking up for the Quibbler, her father, and Harry, with the lyric all tabloids would do well to remember, "Who's snogging who is not a headline."

"Save the Quibbler" is an impassioned plea from Gred and Forge to protect freedom of speech by providing an alternative media outlet which is not ontrolled by the corrupt Ministry of Magic, the reason given being, "We lose our power when we lose our voice...you can't let Cornelius Fudge make your choice!" - something we should all remember in the growing climate of media consolidation.

"Don't Believe It" by Harry and the Potters encourages us not to believe everything we read and to remember that there is always more to a story than what is printed in newspapers!

"The Rebel Call" is a beautiful and thought-provoking song from The Whomping Willows, urging us to rule ourselves and not be controlled by others. It also about how the majority of people don't question what the media tells them, merely accept it as truth, and see no need to look elsewhere - after all, the media is there to inform us of what is going on, and so why shouldn't they be giving us the whole truth? Essentially, we must seek out the real truth and not blindly believe what people tell us!

The Owl Post and The Mudbloods collaborate on "Owl Post Strike", which tells of how the owl post has been on strike since Voldemort took over, and mentions how evil conglomerations "don't care about their birds". Metaphor for mistreatment of workers, anyone?

The Sneakoscopes' "Potterwatch Episode 294" is a declaration of support for HArry and a promise to "tell the truth to the whole wizarding world, 'cause all the Prophet does is hate", wonderfully summing up the objective of alternative media outlets who are fighting against media consolidation today/

"Voldemort controls the Media" by Roonil Wazlib, shows the negative way in which media can be affected when multiple outlets are owned by a handful of people, something we would do well to note today in fact.

Finally, "Quick Quotes Quill" by Tom Riddle and Friends is about how damaging misinformation can be, something can happen often with major news outlets, and warns us to guard ourselves against it.

Overall, the album gets its message across very well - we must not allow ourselves to be controlled or misled by a handful of so-called 'media moguls' despite the fact that with increasing media consolidation they are essentially dictating to us. We must fight against it, retain our integrity and ensure that things are fair - after all, isn't that what democracy is supposed to be all about?

Five Minutes With: Paul DeGeorge!