This is something we have had planned for quite some time. It is no secret that the writers for AHC are huge metal fans. It is, without a doubt, one of the biggest influences on our lives. We grew up listening to it and it has helped shape who we are today. Unlike a lot of other early teenage metal fans, however, we never grew out of it. In fact, our adoration has almost increased over the years and at least one of us can be frequently found at the latest concerts featuring heavy acts.
The idea behind Metal Monday is basically every Monday a different blog staffer will take the reigns and post up any metal tracks they've been enjoying that they wish to share with the world. There are no genre or subgenre limitations. As long as it can be classified as metal, it is eligible for posting. There are also no specifics, which essentially means that anything goes. The reason behind this is to keep it fresh. For instance, one week you could be listening to the high-pitched wails of Timo Tolkki from Stratovarius, the next you could be hearing the dissonant, abundant distortion of Gorgoroth, .
Once we get our shit together, we are hoping to make a variety of different daily posts based on conceptions similar to this. Techno Tuesday or Funky Friday, for example. Unfortunately due to other commitments and blog-related issues we have been unable to pursue this task but we fully intend on persevering and accomplishing it sometime within the near future. It could be a week, a month or even a year from now.
Onto my post. For this post I have decided to mix the old with the new, blending a variety of styles and genres for contrasting effect. The majority of the stuff is extremely heavy and will possibly put a few people off. The likes of Slipknot, Metallica, Oceano, Sikth and Overkill all make appearances.
The first track is Slipknot's People = Shit, a track that until recently I had all but forgotten about. I was first introduced to this song through a Kerrang compilation CD around 2000-2001. Up until this point, Slipknot had been kicking the world into a frenzy with their debut self-titled LP and the wait for their next album, entitled Iowa, was exponential. The aforementioned compilation CD was no doubt a promotional mixtape designed to wet fan's collective appetites; a goal it easily achieved. Just like Iowa itself, People = Shit was the opening track (515 doesn't count as a proper track) and what an opening track it was. To those naysayers who claimed the band had lost some of their driving force in the time between the albums, this was a track for them: an absolutely brutal Molotov cocktail of chord progression, turntable scratching and signature drum patterns complimented by a performance by Corey Taylor that is arguably one of his finest moments.
Slipknot - People = Shit
Secondly, we have Metallica's For Whom The Bell Tolls. I will be the first to admit that, like the rest of the world, I abandoned Metallica after listening to St. Anger in its entirety. Here was a band that had a loyal legion of fans who stuck with them through thick and thin, awaiting an album worthy of the likes of Kill 'Em All, Ride The Lightning, Master Of Puppets, ... And Justice For All or even The Black Album. Around early 2003, the first details emerged of such an album. With the departure of their bassist Jason Newsted and the consequent inclusion of ex-Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves, Black Label Society and Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Robert Trujillo, the band set about in creating what they perceived to be their rawest and heaviest record to date. Unfortunately for the fans, this couldn't have been further from the truth. Although the album did indeed have a raw quality to it (mostly due to a lack of production overdubs), the exclusion of guitar solos in favour of bass solos didn't make it heavier, but instead made it sound bland and unimpressive. Although technically it was heavier due to its emphasis on bass, it lacked the amplified distortion which typically characterises the Metallic sound. On top of this, the songwriting on the album was nothing to write home about. It lacked that Metallica seal of quality where the lyrics meant something and the music conveyed a wave of emotion that most Metal bands could only dream of achieving. Although their newest album, Death Magnetic, is a return to form, something was lost on June 5th 2003 that can never be replaced. This is why For Whom The Bell Tolls has made it onto this list, it remains a timeless classic and is probably the song which best summarises Metallica at their finest.
Metallica - For Whom The Bell Tolls
The third track on the list is by a band called Oceano. Admittedly, I know very little about this band, having only been introduced to them very recently when one of their videos came on a late night music channel. The reason they caught my attention was not only because their lead singer was black, but because he could really bellow. It is rare that you see a ripped black singer who looks like he could easily slay an entire room spitting rhymes that can deliver skullcrushing screams that would put even the most hardened Metal fan to shame. Fuck Killswitch Engage, we have a new contender to the throne. More power to him and of course the rest of the band.
Their debut album, Depths, is out now. Buy it. You won't regret it.
Oceano - District Of Misery
Next up is Skies of Millenium Night by the now defunct Sikth, a band who I have absolutely no qualms saying quit before their time was up. Here was a band who were undoubtedly at the top of their game, creating a ferocious amalgamation of technical metal and mathcore as well as having two seperate vocalists harmonise in a way which no doubt makes Mushroom Head wonder where it all went wrong. Like Slipknot's People = Shit, I was first introduced to this band via a compilation CD. Unlike my introduction through Kerrang, however, I recieved this CD in a rock/metal club. To this day I have no idea how or why they acquired these CDs, but after listening to it only two acts stood out. The Swedish Metal band Passenger (who I may talk about in the future) and Sikth. The song, of course, was Skies Of Millenium Night, a track which remains my favourite by them. Upon first listen, I wasn't really sure what to think. At this stage of my life, I was majorly into Progressive Metal, to the point where I had less and less time for heavier artists. I guess you could call it Metal elitism and in a sense that's what it was, however, regardless of all this bullshit, here was a song really stuck with me. I just loved it for what it was and later went out and purchased the album, much to the dismay of many of my friends after I give them a little sneak demonstration. Its difficult to pinpoint, but you could say that this was the first, if not one of the first tracks to get me back into a lot of the heavier stuff. Whether that ultimately proved to be a good or a bad thing is up to yourselves.
Sikth - Skies Of Millenium Night
The last track to be submitted is It Lives by the band Overkill. Despite being in many respects an underground force within the metal community, this thrash metal band have been going since 1984. Although personally I'm not the biggest fan of their earlier stuff, it really puts it into perspective. After all, they are still playing live and releasing albums today. That's commitment. Though the first track I heard by them was Elimination, a song which to this day I still love, it was only when I picked up the albums From The Underground And Below and Necroshine that it all clicked for me. It Lives is the first track from the former album and I submitted it because it really has that opener feel. From the first sample of "looks like you've been up to the devil's business" you know you're in for a treat. It is just metal at its purest. There are no elaborations or compressions here, it is what it is and that's what I love the most about it.
Overkill - It Lives
Enjoy the tracks. Over and out.
The idea behind Metal Monday is basically every Monday a different blog staffer will take the reigns and post up any metal tracks they've been enjoying that they wish to share with the world. There are no genre or subgenre limitations. As long as it can be classified as metal, it is eligible for posting. There are also no specifics, which essentially means that anything goes. The reason behind this is to keep it fresh. For instance, one week you could be listening to the high-pitched wails of Timo Tolkki from Stratovarius, the next you could be hearing the dissonant, abundant distortion of Gorgoroth, .
Once we get our shit together, we are hoping to make a variety of different daily posts based on conceptions similar to this. Techno Tuesday or Funky Friday, for example. Unfortunately due to other commitments and blog-related issues we have been unable to pursue this task but we fully intend on persevering and accomplishing it sometime within the near future. It could be a week, a month or even a year from now.
Onto my post. For this post I have decided to mix the old with the new, blending a variety of styles and genres for contrasting effect. The majority of the stuff is extremely heavy and will possibly put a few people off. The likes of Slipknot, Metallica, Oceano, Sikth and Overkill all make appearances.
The first track is Slipknot's People = Shit, a track that until recently I had all but forgotten about. I was first introduced to this song through a Kerrang compilation CD around 2000-2001. Up until this point, Slipknot had been kicking the world into a frenzy with their debut self-titled LP and the wait for their next album, entitled Iowa, was exponential. The aforementioned compilation CD was no doubt a promotional mixtape designed to wet fan's collective appetites; a goal it easily achieved. Just like Iowa itself, People = Shit was the opening track (515 doesn't count as a proper track) and what an opening track it was. To those naysayers who claimed the band had lost some of their driving force in the time between the albums, this was a track for them: an absolutely brutal Molotov cocktail of chord progression, turntable scratching and signature drum patterns complimented by a performance by Corey Taylor that is arguably one of his finest moments.
Slipknot - People = Shit
Secondly, we have Metallica's For Whom The Bell Tolls. I will be the first to admit that, like the rest of the world, I abandoned Metallica after listening to St. Anger in its entirety. Here was a band that had a loyal legion of fans who stuck with them through thick and thin, awaiting an album worthy of the likes of Kill 'Em All, Ride The Lightning, Master Of Puppets, ... And Justice For All or even The Black Album. Around early 2003, the first details emerged of such an album. With the departure of their bassist Jason Newsted and the consequent inclusion of ex-Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves, Black Label Society and Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Robert Trujillo, the band set about in creating what they perceived to be their rawest and heaviest record to date. Unfortunately for the fans, this couldn't have been further from the truth. Although the album did indeed have a raw quality to it (mostly due to a lack of production overdubs), the exclusion of guitar solos in favour of bass solos didn't make it heavier, but instead made it sound bland and unimpressive. Although technically it was heavier due to its emphasis on bass, it lacked the amplified distortion which typically characterises the Metallic sound. On top of this, the songwriting on the album was nothing to write home about. It lacked that Metallica seal of quality where the lyrics meant something and the music conveyed a wave of emotion that most Metal bands could only dream of achieving. Although their newest album, Death Magnetic, is a return to form, something was lost on June 5th 2003 that can never be replaced. This is why For Whom The Bell Tolls has made it onto this list, it remains a timeless classic and is probably the song which best summarises Metallica at their finest.
Metallica - For Whom The Bell Tolls
The third track on the list is by a band called Oceano. Admittedly, I know very little about this band, having only been introduced to them very recently when one of their videos came on a late night music channel. The reason they caught my attention was not only because their lead singer was black, but because he could really bellow. It is rare that you see a ripped black singer who looks like he could easily slay an entire room spitting rhymes that can deliver skullcrushing screams that would put even the most hardened Metal fan to shame. Fuck Killswitch Engage, we have a new contender to the throne. More power to him and of course the rest of the band.
Their debut album, Depths, is out now. Buy it. You won't regret it.
Oceano - District Of Misery
Next up is Skies of Millenium Night by the now defunct Sikth, a band who I have absolutely no qualms saying quit before their time was up. Here was a band who were undoubtedly at the top of their game, creating a ferocious amalgamation of technical metal and mathcore as well as having two seperate vocalists harmonise in a way which no doubt makes Mushroom Head wonder where it all went wrong. Like Slipknot's People = Shit, I was first introduced to this band via a compilation CD. Unlike my introduction through Kerrang, however, I recieved this CD in a rock/metal club. To this day I have no idea how or why they acquired these CDs, but after listening to it only two acts stood out. The Swedish Metal band Passenger (who I may talk about in the future) and Sikth. The song, of course, was Skies Of Millenium Night, a track which remains my favourite by them. Upon first listen, I wasn't really sure what to think. At this stage of my life, I was majorly into Progressive Metal, to the point where I had less and less time for heavier artists. I guess you could call it Metal elitism and in a sense that's what it was, however, regardless of all this bullshit, here was a song really stuck with me. I just loved it for what it was and later went out and purchased the album, much to the dismay of many of my friends after I give them a little sneak demonstration. Its difficult to pinpoint, but you could say that this was the first, if not one of the first tracks to get me back into a lot of the heavier stuff. Whether that ultimately proved to be a good or a bad thing is up to yourselves.
Sikth - Skies Of Millenium Night
The last track to be submitted is It Lives by the band Overkill. Despite being in many respects an underground force within the metal community, this thrash metal band have been going since 1984. Although personally I'm not the biggest fan of their earlier stuff, it really puts it into perspective. After all, they are still playing live and releasing albums today. That's commitment. Though the first track I heard by them was Elimination, a song which to this day I still love, it was only when I picked up the albums From The Underground And Below and Necroshine that it all clicked for me. It Lives is the first track from the former album and I submitted it because it really has that opener feel. From the first sample of "looks like you've been up to the devil's business" you know you're in for a treat. It is just metal at its purest. There are no elaborations or compressions here, it is what it is and that's what I love the most about it.
Overkill - It Lives
Enjoy the tracks. Over and out.
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