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Just for fun, I want to share with you my top five albums of the year so far. These albums are great and I think they’ll be contenders for the end of the year list that is just SO much fun to put together. So far we have the following:
5: Exotic Animal Petting Zoo – Tree of Tongues. This awesome gem was an unexpected gift sent to me for review. I’ve never heard of the band until earlier this year and the album just continues to get played to this day. I rocked this shit while in the garage yesterday! It’s really good.
4: Cannibal Corpse – Torture. It just came out but this one is on a continuous loop , I listen to it twice a day at least. The songs on the album are just so fucking entertaining. It takes no time at all to fully enjoy this album for what it is.
3: Plague Widow – 2012 EP. A new band with a big sound. This is how you do death grind. Songs are short, to the point and incredibly heavy. If you haven’t checked out Plague Widow yet after all of these posts I’ve been making you are a fucking retard.
2: Crosses – EP II. Not metal, actually far from it. Chino Moreno/Shaun Lopez/Chuck Doom come together to write some beautiful music. It’s slow & tragic yet romantic. Crosses is one of the best side projects to have come out in recent years.
1: Woods of Ypres – Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light. Words cannot describe my love for this album. The bands final album, Woods V, is a really tough album for me to listen to and sing along to all the way through and not get a tear built up. I miss David Gold and this is his amazing last work of art. This album inspires me, it motivates me, it calms me and it makes me think. Not to mention the tunes are fucking good, this is a different take on doom. It’s not just toned down guitars and growling, it’s singing….really good singing. David’s lowest vocal tone ever, and the fact there are so many instruments contributing to the sound on this album makes Woods V that much more unique. Also, even with all of the heavy death metal put out so far this year, nothing makes me headbang harder then the part on “Alternate Ending” on the 1:48 mark, the doom breakdown is so fucking good. I love this album. RIP David Gold, you’ve inspired more than any man ever has.
Here is some more greatness of 2011. More personal opinions that hardly matter but I feel as though they should be shared. Here are some more “best of 2011″ mini-lists. An award ceremony if you will. Except there are no awards. The only award is us listening to them and their music.
2 – Deadfall – New Light
3 – Immolation – Providence
2 – Crowbar – Sever The Wicked Hand
3 – Woods of Ypres – Woods IV
2 – Chris Corey of Last Chance To Reason
3 – Alex Webster of Blotted Science
2 – Simon Girard and Kevin Chartre of Beyond Creation
3 – Johan Söderberg and Olavi Mikkonen of Amon Amarth
2 – Jade Simonetto of Hate Eternal
3 – Phil Dubois-Coyne of Revocation
2 – Joseph E. Martinez of Junius
3 – Chelsea Wolfe
2 – Erik Rutan of Hate Eternal
3 – Johan Hegg of Amon Amarth
2 – Russian Circles – Empros
3 – Blotted Science – The Animation of Entomology
Here it is….my overall top 10 of the year.
10. Chimaira – The Age of Hell – Songs that will make you drive a little faster…each song is great and you will definitely headbang and sing along. The work done on this is some of their best work since The Impossibility of Reason and it’s the last album that Matt and Rob will be apart of.
9. Mastodon – The Hunter – Excellent writing that is more prog than thrash/rock. Still very heavy and catchy. Masters of their craft.
8. Splattered Entrails – Nauseate – Death slam grind that does one thing and one thing well, be as brutal as possible. Mike O’Hara makes some of the best slam grind on the internet. Truly speaker destroying and gut wrenching stuff.
7. Crowbar – Sever the Wicked Hand – Those riffs, man! God damn. These slow songs really make you headbang hard. Good tunes!
6. Suicide Silence – The Black Crown – The most groovin’ album Suicide Silence has ever released! Some great riffs and awesome guest appearances too! The band is tighter than ever and the energy captured by the band is intense.
5. Hate Eternal – Phoenix Amongst The Ashes – True death metal that delivers. Running on all cylinders, the machine that is Hate Eternal punishes those who attempt to consume it whole. This album is dangerously fast and the riffs are fucking intense.
4. Amon Amarth – Surtur Rising – It’s Amon Amarth…of course it’s going to kick ass! Back with more great riffs, solo’s and amazing screams from Johan Hegg! Surtur Rising is just another chapter of the mighty Amon Amarth in their quest to conquer the world! Seeing this entire album performed live also was another highlight of the year. Great on the speakers and just as amazing live.
3. Beyond Creation – The Aura – A surprise tech-death band that I’ve never heard of, The Aura blows me away every single time I listen to it. If you need a band to scratch that Necrophagist itch, Beyond Creation will scratch it and then some. Very satisfying album. Some of the best guitar/bass playing and drumming I’ve heard all year.
2. Woods of Ypres – Woods IV: The Green Album – Blackened Doom that caught me off guard. I listened to this album hundreds of times this past year. It has a lot to offer since it’s a long album and it covers many more genres from an angle. The album is one emotional ride and tells a great story. Woods IV has inspired me to not only implement some of this style in my own guitar playing, but to start this blog and tell people of the lesser known bands that are incredibly good. Excellent writing and I just can’t help but sing along.
1. Last Chance To Reason – Level 2 – “We eat videogames and shit music.” Fuck yes they do. Level 2 is a groovin electric progressive technical metal album with harmonizing vocals, guitars and tons of poly-rhythmic playing all over the place. I love this album. It’s the best of both worlds, amazing metal combined with a layer of video game influence. The song writing is mind blowing and album as a whole is more than satisfying. Level 2 is just simply amazing, it’s definitely the best album I’ve heard this year. What a treat. From beginning to end it’s just a masterpiece.
Been a good year. Lot’s of exceptionally great music. However out of the 100+ albums covered and the many more I’ve just listened to…there are only a few that stood out. Here is my list of 2011. Starting with number 20 I have….
20. I Declare War – I Declare War – Kick someone in the chest while listening to this album. Great deathcore. They really improved on their technique and song writing this time around. Maintaining raw brutality while adding some unique leads in the mix.
19. Decapitated – Carnival is Forever – Metal as fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
18. Fleshgod Apocalypse – Agony – Symphonic death metal is symphonic. Very fast paced and over the top.
17. Endstille – Infektion 1813 – Some of the best black metal I’ve heard all year.
16. Rwake – Rest – Haunting and Soul shattering songs. Some of the riffs gave me goosebumps….so chilling and cold.
15. Belphegor – Blood Magick Necromance – If you’re a fan of Behemoth, then you’ll definitely love what Belphegor does here. Evil riffs and drumming from hell!
14. Revocation – Chaos of Forms – Some of the most exciting song writing and music of the year! Infectious guitar solo’s and hooks that’ll make you come back for more!
13. Junius – Reports From The Threshold Of Death – The most “non metal” band on the list. Incredible music and singing. Gives me a Deftones vibe with the singers breathy style and the bands build up during the song. Unexpectedly awesome sound and song writing.
12. Vildhjarta – Måsstaden – The only band labeled “djent” that I liked this year. Fucking brilliant music writing and technique. A true headbanger album. WHAT IS A THALL!?
11. Wayne Static – Pighammer – It’s Static-X…but with some of the best riffs and electronic work Wayne has ever done. “Static Killer” is possibly one of the best songs ever written by Wayne Static. It’s also one of the worst album covers of the year. Ah, well. Can’t win em all!
Stay tuned for Part II of my “Best albums of 2011″ tomorrow!!
I’ve really never paid too much attention to music videos. I’ve always appreciated bootlegged videos because I love seeing the band in their natural habitat. Nowadays, I try to appreciate music videos a little more. Whether it’s a pro-shot live version or an artsy fartsy video that doesn’t even show the band at all; I’ve come to watch these videos with a different mind set. This year was a great year for videos, there were some interesting places for bands to play that wasn’t a typical empty warehouse or random field. Some videos didn’t even show the band at all but captured the feeling of the song perfectly. These 10 videos were my favorite of 2011 and I hope you enjoy them as well.
10. Woods of Ypres – I Was Buried In Mount Pleasant Cemetery. This video is what got me into the band and what sparked my interest of many many other things. It’s a long song/video but it held my interest after all of these months. Interesting shots and with the combination of the band performing, it makes for one really good video. I find the ending shots to be both odd and cool at the same time, when it transfers to light and dark shots. I wonder why they decided to blur out the sides of the lens though, you can’t see the bassist and other guitarist at all really.
9. Chelsea Wolfe – Mer. The lighting and style of this video is fucking awesome. Chelsea’s voice is so haunting and beautiful at the same time. I really have no clue what’s going on but I like what I’m seeing. I honestly just love the shot when it’s focused on Chelsea singing in front of the two candles on the wall. There is something just mesmerizing about that part of the video.
8. The Devin Townsend Project – Juular. It’s Devin Townsend, how could this not be awesome? It’s so damn creative and the fact that Devin is dressed up like a crazy old man blowing on some tube while being shackled by some mistress makes it even weirder/better. Where are they going on this train? Whatever the case may be, it’s intense and soothing at the same time. Townsends vocals are epic man, EPIC.
7. Mastodon – Deathbound. Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood meets complete Muppet mayhem. So fun to watch and the song itself is really good.
6. Suicide Silence – You Only Live Once. A unique music video that places the band in a shooting range. In between the cartoon characters with guns and their targets. The effects are good (except for the arrow) and the video is fun to watch. All of those people at the range are creepy, like Tim Burton’s remake of The Chocolate Factory creepy. Oh man, quality video.
5. Revocation – No Funeral. It’s just Revocation performing in an empty theater. What more do you really need? The video kicks major ass considering there is not much to it. Just some great angles and shots of the band. Very good song and I love the close ups of David’s face while he belts out his vocals. I love watching this band perform, it’s like porn. Metal porn. Stimulates the eyes and ears. Very cheeky video indeed.
4. Valient Thorr – Sleeper Awakes. Good song, funny video! Sing along and enjoy yourself!
3. Last Chance To Reason – Upload Complete. It’s the awesome band performing the awesome song with video games and brilliant camera work. Fuck yes!
2. Motionless In White – Immaculate Misconception. Not really my type of music (I don’t like the clean vocals he does) but the imagery and point Chris is making I 100% agree with. Dee Snyder also makes an appearance and whips the shit out of him. You get to see the band perform, you get to see a crucifixion and there is neon jizz everywhere. Also, I got chills AND got a dose of adrenaline when Chris kicked the FUCK out of that guy in the chest. OH MAN I WANTED TO KICK SOMEONE IN THE C HEST AFTER I SAW THAT!
1. BEHEMOTH – LUCIFER. The images. The costume design. The acting. The effects and the song itself, masterful. Produced and directed by Dariusz Szermanowicz and Grupa 13, they bring forth one hell of a video. Lucifer also is another chapter in the return of Nergal, back from his Leukemia that he went through. Seeing Adam Darski sing his parts is absolutely chilling. This is my favorite song on the album and I’m so glad they made a quality video for it. HAIL BEHEMOTH!!!
The Deftones, a band I was late to the party for but love like no other. Their style and their energy fulfill my soul and my mind when I listen to them or see them live. A unique band that reminds me of the good times as well as the bad times. I love their drumming style, their guitar riffs, their bass groove and I absolutely love Chino‘s vocals. I think he has the most amazing range. One song could be a seductive trance, the next song could be a screeching howl; his pitch is unlike anyone’s I’ve ever heard. His highest pitch would make Dani Filth seem weak and muffled at times.
I love the Deftones and it was incredibly hard to do this top 10 list. I tried my hardest to gather these 10 alone and then arrange them into a way I felt seemed fair on several accounts. Whether it’s on a musical level or personal level. Here we go, my top 10 Deftones tracks.
10. Root from Adrenaline
9. Around the Fur from Around the Fur
8. Lhabia from Around the Fur
7. Birthmark from Adrenaline
6. Teenager from White Pony
5. Sextape from Diamond Eyes
4. Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away) from Around the Fur
3. Rx Queen from White Pony
2. Digital Bath from White Pony
1. Knife Party from White Pony
Let’s break down these songs. Root, what’s not to love? That guitar work is phenomenal and the explosion of energy for the chorus is great. My favorite part of the song is at 2:20 when Stephen breaks into that diminishing power chord slide, man. Killer! I love that part. Chino’s vocals are a work of art on this track as well. Even early on when Deftones broke onto the scene, they showed the world what they could do. Next up is Around the Fur : kicking off with that drum beat into a soft vocal style and ripping guitar riff. This is one of those “scream your lungs out in the car while driving to work” songs that pulls me in every single time I hear it. I’m having a hard time not single loudly as I type this! The raw part ending the song beginning at 2:52 is fucking intense. Lhabia is so good, I love the guitar work performed on this track. So simple yet so heavy. The pre-chorus riff is also one of my favorites written by Stephen as well. Lhabia is another song I just want to sing along to at high levels. Well, let’s be honest, I want to do that to every Deftones song, who am I kidding? I love the screaming vocals over the soft vocals during the chorus. Gives me goosebumps at how well they put that together.
Birthmark has one of the coolest introductions of any song on their entire catalog. From the gentle guitar strum into the drumming then the heavy guitar chords. I love how subtle a verse can be and then how it gradually gets heavier and heavier eventually ending with a groove and Chino screaming and spitting into your ears. Teenager is SOOOO GOOOOOOOD. I love how slow and ambient it is. Chino’s voice is so fucking killer and chilling on this song and if you have the correct stereo system, the bass is fucking booming. Sextape is next and even though it’s off of their latest album, Diamond Eyes, it has a special place in my heart along with the rest of the timeless classics that the Deftones has made. This track is deep and special to me. It reminds me of one hell of a night me and my fiance had together in Florida. The guitar noise, the vocals, the drumming and the bass guitar just come together so well and make such a great song. It’s good that the Deftones can come back after a few bunk records and produce a song so powerful that I immediately fall in love with it. Sextape is an incredible track.
Next up is “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)” and from beginning to end it’s just an amazing feeling. This is usually what I play when I begin a long roadtrip. The riff with the cool drum beat makes you feel like you’re cruisin’ down the street on a cool summer evening no matter where you truly are. Something simple yet magical about this track that taps into those good nights of being with friends and loved ones, enjoying life and having a great time. I played this song over and over when I drove from Kansas City, MO to Fort Walton Beach, FL. This is also one of those tracks where Chino sounds just amazing. His delivery on the track is so good. Beginning Rx Queen, The bass drum hits and the cymbal crashes with the strike of an oddly tuned snare drum but it works. The bass guitar does the work during the verse, keeping the track subtle and quiet until the chorus. When the energy picks up a little and the guitar comes crashing in.
“Cuz you’re my girl and that’s alright, if you stay with me I won’t mind”.
Next up is another track off of White Pony, Digital Bath. Starting up again with another smooth drum pattern and guitar chord that would put anyone in the mood. It’s my favorite track to sing along to. I love the short but sweet chorus.
“Tonight, I feel like more. Tonight.”
As is always with a track, I have associated it with something within my life and a special someone so it strikes emotions and feelings each and every time I here it. It’s weird, mysterious and romantic in a way.
My favorite Deftones track though is again off of White Pony, which is also my favorite album. Knife Party begins with a simple little chord until the rest of the band joins. That chord continues but the drums and bass add so much more power to it. The verse is simple and quiet again, kicking it up a notch for the pre-chorus and turning up the intensity even more during the chorus. Dark and beautiful, I think the lyrics and the way this song is sung is absolutely breath taking. I’ve gone into a trance many times listening to this song and singing along. I’ve desperately looked for this song at karaoke bars but it never comes up. I think this song is so different, so evolved, so mysteriously sexy…it’s absolutely incredible how a couple of dudes from California could come up with something like this. That bass guitar and guitar work are just so moving it’s unreal.
My knife, it’s sharp and chrome
Come see inside my bones
All the feigns are on the block
I’m the new king, I’ll take the queen
‘Cause in here we are all anemic
In here, anemic is sweet, sogo get your knife, go get your knife
And come in
Go get your knife, go get your knife
And lay down
Go get your knife, go get your knife
Now kiss meI can float here forever
In this room we can’t touch the floor
In here we’re all anemic
In here, anemic is sweet, soGo get your knife, go get your knife
And come in
Go get your knife, go get your knife
And lay down
Go get your knife, go get your knife
Now kiss me
Of course, I’ve put together my own personal feelings into this song in some form so it makes it that much better. That’s the majesty of the Deftones though. They create a song with their own interpretation and feelings yet it’s so metaphorical and well said that anyone can put in how they feel, their personal experiences and their own thoughts onto the track as well. Yet, we’re all singing the same lyrics. That’s the beauty of this band. Poetic, that’s the Deftones for you.
On a side note, I didn’t even become a fan of the Deftones until way after they released all of their good stuff. I finally got into them in 2005. White Pony won me over, Around the Fur made me a bigger fan, Adrenaline and a few tracks from the S/T album and SNW made me adore them. The self titled album is a good album, it has some tracks on there that I love. Saturday Night Wrist I loved at first, but the novelty of “Ohh, a new Deftones album” wore off fairly quickly and it came down to me only really liking a couple of songs. Unfortunately, that was Chi Cheng’s last album as he is recovering from a near fatal car crash in 2008. Since the crash, the record they were working on, Eros, was put on hold. Deftones grabbed a bass player and toured a bit, then released Diamond Eyes. This album is actually incredible and I see it as a White Pony meets Around the Fur, just with an 8 string guitar. Stephen’s tuning is low so that the album may seem a little bit different, it’s still the same great Deftones we all know and love.
Well there you have it. My top 10 Deftones tracks. It was really hard to pick out, then once I picked them out it was hard to actually stick with it. Honestly, I love all of their work. Each album is a moment in time for them and for me that brings back memories, good and bad. Much respect for them, their work, their fans and their style. I hope to see them soon in concert and I hope Chi Cheng makes a strong recovery and returns to the stage with them. Here is to a great band who will forever go on as a pioneer of something more than just metal, more than just music.
Cheers.
~Merginator
Type O Negative is a type of music that isn’t necessarily heavy or metal. They are a gothic doom band hailing from Brooklyn, NY. Penetrating the masses ears since the early 90′s for all to enjoy. With that said, they have plenty of tunes to listen to. Here are my favorite 10 songs by them.
10. Black No. 1 from Bloody Kisses
9. Nettie from Life Is Killing Me
8. Love You To Death from October Rust
7. Red Water (Christmas Mourning) from October Rust
6. White Slavery from World Coming Down
5. Everyone I Love Is Dead from World Coming Down
4. IYDKMIGTHTKY (Gimme That) from Life Is Killing Me
3. Christian Woman from Bloody Kisses
2. …A Dish Best Served Coldly from Life Is Killing Me
1. Bloody Kisses (A Death in the Family) from Bloody Kisses
Now, most of their music is pretty much the same in terms of….well….if you listen to Type O then you understand what I mean….it’s all basically the same music wise. Slow, dark, some piano or ambient sounds and doom drumming that is to die for. What separates these and makes these 10 special is their hooks and how well the song is performed. I mean, it’s the little things like a perfectly timed keyboard performance or Peter Steele using his ultra low vocal style. A kick ass riff with some slow drum beat behind it and an ambient presence in the background. Type O is pretty atmospheric in terms of doom metal, not just trying to be creepy, scary or goth. But setting a tone musically and then giving you lyrics to sing back that just works so well together. If you’ve noticed, all of my top 10 come from these 4 albums:
Earlier and later albums are good but nothing compared to these 4 gems right here. This era of Type O Negative is with out a doubt their best musical offering. Starting at number ten we have Black No. 1. A very iconic Type O Negative song and even if you aren’t the biggest fan of this band, I’m sure you’ve heard of this song. It is a great song and the only reason why it didn’t get higher on my list is because the song gets slightly repetitive. However, this song is great when inebriated out of your mind. Number nine is a song that’s always stuck with me. Starting with Steele’s baritone voice then kicking up a notch singing “Nettie, no need to cry. Let me wipe those tear drops from your eyes”. The verse riff is good and honestly what makes the song so good for me is that chorus. That line he sings and the guitar riff in the background is great. At the 2:43 mark the song switches up a little bit and it’s the defining point in the song that makes it extraordinary. “Love You To Death” is number eight and musically it’s terrific. This song is great to sing along to. At Seven, we have “Red Water (Christmas Mourning)” and I think the opening is just so damn cool sounding. The entire song is written so well, one of the coolest sounding doom songs ever. Number six is the opener for World Coming Down and it has the best drum sound and guitar tone Type O Negative has ever used. “White Slavery” is a phenomenal track and it never loses it’s power. Epic riff after epic riff for over 8 minutes.
At number five is the track right after “White Slavery” on World Coming Down, “Everyone I Love Is Dead”. Love the lyrics and the guitar solo towards the end of the track is great. Number four is “IYDKMIGHTKY (Gimme That)” and that opening riff is so fucking GOOD. The magic is the chorus with the creepy keyboard piece in the background with the bad ass riff over it and Steele saying “If you don’t kill me, I’m gonna have to kill you.” There are many elements on this track, ranging from just a bass riff, keyboard ambiance and a flute. Even the “Gimme that, gimme that, gimme that” whispered in the background adds something good to the song. It’s all fitting and done so well. The ending is repetitive but I love the vocals and the music a lot. Ah, the song just gives me chills. “Christian Woman” comes in next and is one of Type O’s songs that defines who they are and what they do as a band. At second place we have “…A Dish Best Served Coldly”, one of my favorite songs by them. Fantastically written music and lyrics. With a section that I thoroughly enjoy singing along to:
How many times must I say I’m not sorry?
And how many ways can I show I don’t care?
At number one we have the epic song from their 1993 album with the same name “Bloody Kisses”. The organ starts the song, followed by the coolest riff in any Type O Negative song, then followed by a doom drum beat that is fucking brutal for being so slow. I love the lyrics of this particular song.
Not long ago but far away.
A rainy winter’s day.All her pain she kept inside.
Could no longer hide.No cry for help.
She killed herself.Both life and love could not be saved.
She took them both to the grave.
This song is the best song by Type O Negative. I honestly wish I would have been a fan of them back in 93 so I could have enjoyed it more than I have. Could you imagine a little 8 year old running around listening to Type O? Hah. Anyways, Bloody Kisses is not only a great album, it’s their best song in my opinion. I love singing along and it’s one of those songs that just gives me chills everytime I listen to it. The chorus fucking rules.
It’s sad that Peter Steele is gone. Type O Negative was one of my favorite groups. On April 14, 2010 he died of heart failure, he was only 48. I had the privilege to see Type O once in concert. It was an incredible sight to behold. Their stage presence and performance was out of this world and they sounded great. Peter Steele will always live on through his music and he is definitely an inspiration to my own creative song writing.
Cradle of Filth has been one of my favorite bands for atleast 7 years now. Each album has something special and each album is slightly different the the next. CoF have evolved into a black metal beast and I now present you with my top 10 all time favorite Cradle of Filth songs.
10: Tragic Kingdom from “Godspeed On The Devil’s Thunder”
9: Nymphetamine (Overdose) from “Nymphetamine”
8: Under The Huntress Moon from “Thornography”
7: Gilded Cunt from “Nymphetamine”
6: The Promise of Fever from “Damnation and a Day”
5: Her Ghost In The Fog from “Midian”
4: Nemesis from “Nymphetamine”
3: Thirteen Autumns and a Widow from “Cruelty and the Beast”
2: Born In A Burial Gown from “Bitter Suites to Succubi”
1: Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids from “Cruelty and the Beast”
I feel these ten represent the band the best. Some heavier faster songs, some slower with more feeling. All of them perfectly dark and sexy in their own right. Besides a couple of them, they each tell a story or are part of an album that tells a story. “Tragic Kingdom” is the best song from the album, “Godspeed On The Devil’s Thunder”. Telling a piece of the story of Gilles de Rais, a man who committed horrible crimes against children. “Nymphetamine (Overdose)” is one of CoF’s longest song written and is basically 2 songs in one. The first song being repeated in the 3rd part of the track. It’s a really well written song featuring vocals from Liv Kristine. “Under The Huntress Moon” is a surprise track from “Thornography” that is one of the catchiest black metal riffs ever written in my book. “Gilded Cunt” is just a straight to the point “Fuck you, you gold digger, soul sucker” song. A great song to sing out loud at family gatherings! ‘The Promise of Fever’ is a track that is epic in scale in terms of the multi layers of music going on. It’s the opening track for “Damnation and a Day” and it’s really heavy track. “Her Ghost in the Fog” is one of the songs they’ve spawned that truly shows who they are. This song is as heavy as it is subtle. Very quiet, ambient verses. Heavy as fuck chorus’. “Nemesis” is a killer song with some of my favorite lyrics. An easy chorus to remember and shout back
“Black is my heart
Black is my heart
Black is my heart
I am Nemesis“
“Thirteen Autumns and a Widow” is an classic track that just screams Filth. This track has one of my favorite guitar riffs ever written by the band at 2:20 in to the song. I just think this song is musically superb with all of the elements you would want in a Cradle of Filth song. “Born In A Burial Gown” is also another one of those songs that has every element in it that you would expect a Cradle song to have. Great guitar riffs, Dani’s incredible screams, keyboard synth sounds and a kick ass chorus.
“Hear Me now!
All crimes should be treasured if they bring thee pleasure somehow…”
starts off my favorite Cradle of Filth song ever. Some of the most incredible lyrics, guitar riffs, drumming and vocal work. This song gives me the chills everytime. I love it. Listen to it right now!
Metallica, the band that made me (and millions of other people) a metal head. I’ve been an avid fan of anything Metallica since 1991. So here is my top 10 Metallica songs. Starting at 10…
#10 – My Friend of Misery – “Metallica“
#9 - Unforgiven II – “ReLoad“
#8 – Sad but True – “Metallica“
#7 – Leper Messiah – “Master of Puppets“
#6 – The Outlaw Torn – “Load“
#5 – Master of Puppets – “Master of Puppets“
#4 – Fade to Black – “Ride the Lightning“
#3 – Harvester of Sorrow – “…And Justice For All“
#2 – Blackened – “…And Justice For All“
#1 – One – “…And Justice For All“
“My Friend of Misery” has one of the most chilling bass lines for an opener. Some great riffs and one of the best guitar solo’s on the entire album. “Unforgiven II” is one of the catchiest songs they have made. Even the non Metallica fans sing along to this song. I’ve always loved this song due to personal reasons and the fact it paid tribute to the original (by playing some of the notes from the first one). “Sad but True“, one of the songs that grabbed me early on and made me head bang. The main guitar riff is so iconic and powerful. Everything about this song is great. Another heavy as hell but you can sing along type of song. “Leper Messiah” probably wouldn’t be in most people top 10 list but this song always stuck out to me. The love the guitar riffs at the beginning. Then the slow “chug chug, chug chug, chug chug” with the bass behind it, followed by the verse riff. Oh man this song is heavily underrated in my book and one of the best tracks on “Master of Puppets“. The guitar solo’s are great on this track as well. “The Outlaw Torn”, whoa what? A Load song making someone’s top 10?!?! Yes, starting with that awesome opener and never losing me, The Outlaw Torn was one of my favorite songs from the 90′s. This song still inspires me to this day when I play guitar. Very slow song and James’ vocals are amazing. Kirk’s solo on this song is very subtle but still awe inspiring.
“Master of Puppets” is definitely one of the best songs anyone has ever written, ever. Dark lyrics, catchy riffs and “holy shit that was awesome” guitar solo action, this song has inspired people to start picking up guitars and learning this song. “Fade to Black” is a deep song with lyrics of suicide that has helped me in life. When you’re down, jam this tune and get over it. It’s songs like this that helped me continue on with life instead of ending it. Incredible riffs, leads, solo’s and lyrics make this one amazing classic song. “Harvester of Sorrow” is written flawlessly. Everything from guitar riffs to drums to the vocal style. I love the guitar solo into a melodic lead towards the end of the song. “Blackened” is lyrically one of the best songs written. Very cool introduction, metal as fuck guitar riffs, interesting drum style going on and the breakdown near the 2:30 mark is amazing. Changing the tempo of the song and making you scream:
“Opposition…Contradiction…Premonition…Compromise
Agitation…Violation…Mutilation…Planet Dies
Darkest Color
Blistered Earth
True Death of Life”
Then after that goes into one of the best “awesome solo over bitchin riff” parts I’ve ever heard. Blackened is absolutely one of the best songs in metal history, period.
“One” is the song that got me into metal so by default it is given my number “one” spot. Great intro melodies and leads, subtle verse riffs, intense power chord chorus, sung perfectly in the first half. Second half offers what Metallica have perfected over the years. Dark lyrics, double bass drumming, fast guitar riffs while shouting:
“Darkness
Imprisoning Me
All That I See
Absolute Horror
I Cannot Live
I Cannot Die
Trapped in Myself
Body My Holding CellLandmine
Has Taken My Sight
Taken My Speech
Taken My Hearing
Taken My Arms
Taken My Legs
Taken My Soul
Left Me with Life in Hell”
Then going into one hell of a guitar solo. One is the reason I enjoy metal and got into it. Can you blame me? This song is perfect in every way possible. Slow then fast, calm then intense. One will always have that special place in my heart and I’ll never get tired of this song.
Thank you for reading and let me know what your fav Metallica songs are.
Thanks to my fiance Jennifer, I’ve discovered just how great NIN is. Now that I’ve been a fan for a little while, I have 10 tracks I would consider my personal favorite. Starting at 10…..
10: Terrible Lie from Pretty Hate Machine
9: Sin from Pretty Hate Machine (Gotta love that chorus.)
8: Hurt from The Downward Spiral
7: The Wretched from The Fragile
6: The Fragile from The Fragile
5: Even Deeper from The Fragile (It runs……..)
4: Underneath It All from The Fragile (“All I do, I can still feel you”. I love the tempo of this song)
3: We’re In This Together from The Fragile (This is our theme song pretty much. Overwhelmingly love this song due to the simple fact that I feel this song is about Jennifer and I. “You’re the Queen and I’m the King, Nothing else means anything”)
2: Heresy From The Downward Spiral (I fucking love this song. “You dreamed a god up, and called it Christianity. God is dead and no one cares. If there is a hell, I’ll see you there!)
1: The Great Below From The Fragile The music is calm, ambient, excellent. The music always gives me goose bumps, gaining power and momentum as it goes along. The lyrics are magnificent. After the “In the Great Below!” part, I get the chills everytime with that bass riff and that gentle and soothing guitar riff with him almost whispering “I can still feel you even so far away”. This is my favorite Nine Inch Nails song EVER.
So there you have it. I’m not the BIGGEST NIN fan, I believe I live with her. However, I do enjoy NIN from time to time and find his music fulfilling, fun and meaningful. Also, you can go ahead and say that “The Fragile” is my favorite album.
