So I just came here right now after mouthing of with an ignorant and closed-minded piece-of-shit metalhead who thinks he's some fucking metal music know-it-all. We discussed record productions, you know production as in sound values and all that stuff. So, this stupid fuck jumped some other metalhead for claiming some modern retro-thrash band's album sounded bad because it's recorded with Pro-Tools. This motherfucker went on preaching about how modern productions are superior to old school 80's productions because everything's so much clearer and whatnot. It's an opinion and that's perfectly fine. What I couldn't take, however, was the guy's obvious "my word is fact" attitude.
I decided to join in on the discussion and made a reply to the thread. I pointed out what I liked with older and rawer production styles and why I generally dislike retro metal bands with modern productions. Once again, just an opinion and it's perfectly fine. Anyway, this stupid fuck starts argue about why I am wrong and he is absolutely right. The guy doesn't accept any other opinions than his own conservative views and doesn't even seem to understand half of what the hell I'm responding with. He strikes me as somewhat confused (I believe his mother-tongue is not English) but conservatively sticks to his "my word is fact" bullshit. You know, I try for rounds of replies to explain to him that his opinion isn't speaking for everybody. He doesn't get it.
Now this fuck doesn't strike me as a troll nor does he strike me as very smart. He strikes me as the kind of dickhead who's got his own head up his ass and was nutured that way during his entire upbringing. The guy absolutely had no respect for anyone in the thread besides himself, and you know what? I just fucking hate people who seem to think they're above everyone else. But all this ... it was just a piss in the ocean, really.
What really got me thinking from this incident was that a whole lot of metalheads are behaving this way. You know, I always hated how metalheads got portrayed in movies such as Wayne's World and Airheads - like some stupid stoners playing in a band. The stereotype of my fucking life. "Oh, you're a metalhead? So eh, you like Metallica, huh? Yeah I love 'em, too! "Nothing else matters" is fuckin' awesome, dude! Hey, have you got any dope man? Shit, you look like you fucking party, man!" That's the kind of shit I grew up with in school.
Anyway, school is far behind me now and I doesn't have to deal with such bullshit anymore, at least not directly. But you know what? It still bothers me. At the same time, however, after encountering fucks like the one I mentioned above, I understand why metalheads get portrayed like that.
I've met quite a lot of naive and stupid fucks known as metalheads throughout the years. Some constantly beer-drinkin' fucks who are pretty much just like the guy mentioner earlier: conservative and closed-minded "true metal" fucks who loves living inside their own assholes. That's the main reason why I never really befriended any metalheads throughout the years - everybody was a fucking wanker. My friends were all non-metalheads but at least they didn't judge me as a "stereotypical metalhead". Unfortunately, from my personal experience, that's the sort of dickhead metalheads I've had to meet, though.
I never was a people person. I mostly dislike people in general because of how fake and/or stupid they are. Metal music has a lot of fans but it's not a brotherhood, contrary to what seems to be a popular belief. It's full of conservative fanboys and elitists who have no respect for anything but themselves and their favorite band respectively. I envy the hardcore-punks. Now those guys seem to be a real brotherhood, stand-up guys who make that scene great. I love metal music but seriously, fuck its fans.
onsdag 21 december 2016
onsdag 14 december 2016
Top-10 Best Metal Records of 2016
Today's the day! I'm doing my personal top-10 list of the ten very best metal records of 2016, plus a bonus mention section of those contestants who didn't make the list. Before we start I would like to briefly summarize the year as a whole down below.
2016 has been a very action packed year to say the least. Lots and more lots of metal records coming out this year. In fact, I've had a strong feeling this year's been more productive than the past few years. Something that's been particularly present for metal records this year, I think, is hype. It just seems like 2016 has been a very dedicated metal year.
Lots of people have also been saying it's been a great 30th anniversary year for thrash in particular, whereas 1986 was argubly the best year in thrash history. Many of the bands that released great albums in 1986 have also released great efforts this year, according to many thrashers and metalheads out there.
Personally, however, I've been standing at the crossroads all year. There's been so much coming out this year, including some personally anticipated releases, but I just kind of feel like most of the stuff left more to be desired. That's left me very confused to say the least. On one hand I've got this really rich metal treasure, but on the other hand there aren't really any real treasures in the chest. Do you catch my drift?
Some of the records that came out this year, some of which have even been majorly anticipated by the common metal scene, have simply left me so unimpressed I kind of thought they sucked. Another truth I feel should be told is the year's rather slow start. Yes, a lot of records this year were planned for release later during the year, making the first bunch of months this year particularly uninteresting to me. That, in turn, also left me somewhat uninterested in checking out more new music altogether as the year progressed.
With all that said, maybe the first few months disappointed me so much that my own hype/interest just got "drained". I dunno. What I do know, however, is that I didn't discover nearly as many new records as I should've done because of that. So to all record labels: please plan your releases somewhat more strategically month by month, rather than "nah, we'll drop 'em all this summer."
2016 to me personally has unfortunately been a rather "boring" year for metal, despite a lot of releases including some major names. But here's ten metal albums which left the most marks with me personally:
10. Exumer - The Raging Tides
One of the best thrash albums of the year, if you ask me. I just love their debut, "Possessed By Fire", which was originally released in 1986! They've now done four albums in total (two in their original run, two since reforming). This is the best one since the debut.
9. Khonsu - The Xun Protectorate
Never heard of these guys before. I happened to stumble upon them as the cover art drew the attention of my eyes, as I'm a solid sci-fi fan. Turned out it was one of those great stumbles. While I'm not entirely sure as to what label these guys as (fuck strict labeling anyway, really), they're along the lines of ... progressive black metal? Whatever, their shit kicks dicks. They actually remind me a lot of a Czechian group called Gorgonea Prima which I really like. A lot of stuff going on here.
8. Amon Amarth - Jomsviking
At first I was rather unimpressed with this one, just like with their previous album "Deciever Of The Gods" (2013), just like so many other fans. As the year has gone by, however, this one actually grew on me a lot. It's definitely the biggest grower of the year for me. I think it's still got a few flawed tracks (including a collaboration with Doro) but also a few epic gems, and those are exactly what I love about Amon Amarth.
7. Fallujah - Dreamless
One word: atmospheric! You know, I was skeptical about this one seeing as I was not really a fan of their sound prior to this one, but lo and behold: this one has some truly amazing soundscapes going on. At times it's progressive metal with jazzy-like guitars and at other times they just rock a U2 kinda vibe (yes, I'm a U2 fan. I love U2). Perhaps the biggest surprise record of the year? Very possibly so.
6. Lucifer's Hammer (Chile) - Beyond The Omens
Okey, so the name is a blatant rip-off from an old legendary band, but if you (can) look past that you'll have yourself a mighty fine heavy metal album right here. This one's one of the absolutely best NWoTHM releases this year, much in the vein of old Maiden, Satan, Angel Witch and other lovely bands from back in the day.
5. Eternal Champion - The Armor Of Ire
This one appeared to me through Blake Ibanez whose work I'm very familiar with (and a fan of) from the Texas hardcore-thrashers Power Trip. This band plays old school (epic) heavy metal. I'd say their spirit/feeling is reminiscent of Manowar while the music is perhaps more towards early Savatage, Manilla Road and Omen. A mighty fine and refreshing old school-influenced release in this day and age of metal, and also a proof that some Americans can still crank out some good ol' heavy metal. The only downside is the album's somewhat short duration - six songs and two instrumental pieces. The biggest upside - I want more!
4. Cauldron - In Ruin
I've always been a somewhat casual fan of Cauldron. They're good but not awesome was what I used to think about 'em. Their previous album "Tomorrow's Lost" (2012) was a real solid album, though. Somehow I never thought they'd do another one like it, why that was I dunno, but four years later they actually returned - and topped it! I was very impressed with this one. The songs are stronger, more energetic, there's more melody and the vibe brings out just about everything I love about 80's heavy metal.
3. Sumerlands - S/T
And the biggest heavy metal bomb of the year is none other than the mighty Sumerlands. A relatively new band, also featuring Arthur Rizk who also plays on the Eternal Champion record. I guess the guy knows his shit like a real pro, making two of the top-5 best records of the year. Without a doubt the guy is the future of metal. This album sounds like a great mix of 80's solo-era Ozzy Osbourne with a touch of Dio (band) as well as Dio-era Sabbath. Further add some Queensrÿche, Savatage and Van Halen into the mix and you've got Sumerlands. The production is also really nice, warm and old school sounding without sounding too clean or too cheap. The best heavy metal album in a long time.
2. Death Angel - The Evil Divide
These dudes together are one of my favorite bands these days. Their last three albums including this one are all killer! While I think I do prefer their previous album slightly more, the ultra-thrasy "The Dream Calls For Blood" (2013), this album's definitely as good as a great follow-up gets. The music is a lot more varied on this album, which I also believe is one of its strongest features, but it also takes the cake for being the best thrash I've heard all this year. I don't think there's any other record from this year which has spun more times than this one. Gongrats guys, you officially won the "thrash of the year"-award from me.
1. Devin Townsend Project - Transcendence
And winner of the year is...*double bass-blast and tom-tom roll attack*... DTP! I'm a long-time fan (for my age) of Devin's and I love a lot of the man's musical work. His last few releases, however, have been somewhat ... less interesting, I think. Particularly "Epicloud" (2012) is an effort I found quite uninteresting and it made his music sound somewhat stuck in a rut, maybe? I wasn't really expecting too much from this album to be honest, but when I finally heard the thing I was blown away! This is truly one of Devin's finest hours (and he's got quite a few) and I absolutely love the "celestial sounds" which dominate this album. The songs are huge, epic, beautiful and together they just make one hell of a musical journey. Congrats Devin and DTP - you are the album of the year!
DevilDriver - Trust No One
I really liked "Winter Kills" (2013) unlike most fans who seemed not to. This album, however, left a few things to be desired. A bit too safely played and also a bit too repetitive, perhaps? But for being the first album by a whole new line-up, it's pretty solid. The previous album brought more variety to the table. A few great tracks are to be found (particularly "For What It's Worth"), as well.
Testament - Brotherhood Of The Snake
Back in like 2010 or so, I kind of worshipped (old) Testament. They're one of the greatest and most important thrash outfits of all time, but their past three albums have all been kind of "meh" in my opinion. This one didn't really disappoint as my expectations were relatively low, but on the other hand did it not do well in surprising me either. What it did do, however, was making me appreciate "Dark Roots Of Earth" (2012) a lot more (in comparison). It's something, I guess.
Tygers Of Pan Tang - S/T
I still haven't heard this in its entirely yet (I think), but what I did hear so far sounded solid. I'm happy they're still around and rocking.
Hatebreed - The Concrete Confessional
I liked this one a lot but I just don't think it's a top-10 contestor. Best album they've done in a while, though.
VOLA - Inmazes
Don't think I've managed to go through this whole thing yet. It's a bit too djent-y for my taste so I take it in bits and pieces, but it's got some great soundscapes going on which makes it worthy of listening to.
Meshuggah - The Violent Sleep Of Reason
What can I say? Just another Meshuggah album. Nothing more, nothing less.
Vektor - Terminal Redux
People have gone apeshit over this one but I personally just don't hear what's so great about it. "It sounds like Coroner". Hey, I love Coroner. This does not sound like Coroner! Maybe someday, though.
Destruction - Under Attack
I do like some of Destruction's works, both old and more recent, but this one was rather bland.
The Browning - Isolation
Like the case with Meshuggah - just another Browning album. Also somewhat arguable if it's really metal or not. I enjoyed it nonetheless. Just nothing extra ordinary about it.
Vicious Rumors - Concussion Protocol
The same case again - just another Vicious Rumors album (but it's good).
Metallica - Hardwired...To Self-Destruct
I've seen this on several lists already (no wonder). Some first spots as expected as well, 'cause it's Metallica after all, you know? But in all honesty though, when they announced this I didn't know what to expect. I liked "Death Magnetic" (2008) but it wasn't awesome. However, I do think they did a solid one with this album. A few tracks are kind of "meh", but some others are really nice with a good variety, and Thrash(y)tallica is always nostalgic and welcome to me, so...yeah.
Megadeth - Dystopia
I liked "United Abominations" (2007) a lot, and you know what? It was the last Megadeth album I liked a lot. This one is better than the previous two crappy outputs by MegaDave, but way overhyped and not nearly as good as all the fanboys make it out to be. The title-track was the best Megadeth song in years, though. Love that one!
Anthrax - For All Kings
Most disappointing album of the year for me. It just sounds boring to my ears. And for fuck's sake, can the new lead guitarist try to at least look happy on stage once in a while. The guy always looks like he despises being in the band. Joey sounds great, though.
Revocation - Great Is Our Sin
A solid release but they've done better ones. This one simply didn't make the list.
Denner / Shermann - Masters Of Evil
The first full-lenght release from these Danish guitar masters in quite a while. A satisfying album no doubt, but it does fall somewhat short in comparison the duo's previous works (I guess mostly because the vocals - we all want KD, obviously).
Oceans Of Slumber - Winter
This one's the coolest modern female-fronted metal I've heard in quite a while. Why didn't it make top-10? I guess I just enjoyed the actual top-10 a bit more.
Khemmis - Hunted
It's been many years since I last had a something of an interest in doom metal. Don't ask me why 'cause the riffs and sound are usually crushing, but I guess the slow tempo just bores me too much in the long run. You know, I'm a huge Black Sabbath fan so that's pretty much all the "doom" I need. I used to be a big Candlemass fan back in the day as well, but I haven't listened to them for ten years now. These guys, however, actually made doom metal kind of interesting to my ears again.
There are tons and tons more of metal records released this year. I haven't gone through an ounce of them all yet. If a record wasn't mentioned it's because;
Cheers!
2016 has been a very action packed year to say the least. Lots and more lots of metal records coming out this year. In fact, I've had a strong feeling this year's been more productive than the past few years. Something that's been particularly present for metal records this year, I think, is hype. It just seems like 2016 has been a very dedicated metal year.
Lots of people have also been saying it's been a great 30th anniversary year for thrash in particular, whereas 1986 was argubly the best year in thrash history. Many of the bands that released great albums in 1986 have also released great efforts this year, according to many thrashers and metalheads out there.
Personally, however, I've been standing at the crossroads all year. There's been so much coming out this year, including some personally anticipated releases, but I just kind of feel like most of the stuff left more to be desired. That's left me very confused to say the least. On one hand I've got this really rich metal treasure, but on the other hand there aren't really any real treasures in the chest. Do you catch my drift?
Some of the records that came out this year, some of which have even been majorly anticipated by the common metal scene, have simply left me so unimpressed I kind of thought they sucked. Another truth I feel should be told is the year's rather slow start. Yes, a lot of records this year were planned for release later during the year, making the first bunch of months this year particularly uninteresting to me. That, in turn, also left me somewhat uninterested in checking out more new music altogether as the year progressed.
With all that said, maybe the first few months disappointed me so much that my own hype/interest just got "drained". I dunno. What I do know, however, is that I didn't discover nearly as many new records as I should've done because of that. So to all record labels: please plan your releases somewhat more strategically month by month, rather than "nah, we'll drop 'em all this summer."
2016 to me personally has unfortunately been a rather "boring" year for metal, despite a lot of releases including some major names. But here's ten metal albums which left the most marks with me personally:
10. Exumer - The Raging Tides
One of the best thrash albums of the year, if you ask me. I just love their debut, "Possessed By Fire", which was originally released in 1986! They've now done four albums in total (two in their original run, two since reforming). This is the best one since the debut.
9. Khonsu - The Xun Protectorate
Never heard of these guys before. I happened to stumble upon them as the cover art drew the attention of my eyes, as I'm a solid sci-fi fan. Turned out it was one of those great stumbles. While I'm not entirely sure as to what label these guys as (fuck strict labeling anyway, really), they're along the lines of ... progressive black metal? Whatever, their shit kicks dicks. They actually remind me a lot of a Czechian group called Gorgonea Prima which I really like. A lot of stuff going on here.
8. Amon Amarth - Jomsviking
At first I was rather unimpressed with this one, just like with their previous album "Deciever Of The Gods" (2013), just like so many other fans. As the year has gone by, however, this one actually grew on me a lot. It's definitely the biggest grower of the year for me. I think it's still got a few flawed tracks (including a collaboration with Doro) but also a few epic gems, and those are exactly what I love about Amon Amarth.
7. Fallujah - Dreamless
One word: atmospheric! You know, I was skeptical about this one seeing as I was not really a fan of their sound prior to this one, but lo and behold: this one has some truly amazing soundscapes going on. At times it's progressive metal with jazzy-like guitars and at other times they just rock a U2 kinda vibe (yes, I'm a U2 fan. I love U2). Perhaps the biggest surprise record of the year? Very possibly so.
6. Lucifer's Hammer (Chile) - Beyond The Omens
Okey, so the name is a blatant rip-off from an old legendary band, but if you (can) look past that you'll have yourself a mighty fine heavy metal album right here. This one's one of the absolutely best NWoTHM releases this year, much in the vein of old Maiden, Satan, Angel Witch and other lovely bands from back in the day.
5. Eternal Champion - The Armor Of Ire
This one appeared to me through Blake Ibanez whose work I'm very familiar with (and a fan of) from the Texas hardcore-thrashers Power Trip. This band plays old school (epic) heavy metal. I'd say their spirit/feeling is reminiscent of Manowar while the music is perhaps more towards early Savatage, Manilla Road and Omen. A mighty fine and refreshing old school-influenced release in this day and age of metal, and also a proof that some Americans can still crank out some good ol' heavy metal. The only downside is the album's somewhat short duration - six songs and two instrumental pieces. The biggest upside - I want more!
4. Cauldron - In Ruin
I've always been a somewhat casual fan of Cauldron. They're good but not awesome was what I used to think about 'em. Their previous album "Tomorrow's Lost" (2012) was a real solid album, though. Somehow I never thought they'd do another one like it, why that was I dunno, but four years later they actually returned - and topped it! I was very impressed with this one. The songs are stronger, more energetic, there's more melody and the vibe brings out just about everything I love about 80's heavy metal.
3. Sumerlands - S/T
And the biggest heavy metal bomb of the year is none other than the mighty Sumerlands. A relatively new band, also featuring Arthur Rizk who also plays on the Eternal Champion record. I guess the guy knows his shit like a real pro, making two of the top-5 best records of the year. Without a doubt the guy is the future of metal. This album sounds like a great mix of 80's solo-era Ozzy Osbourne with a touch of Dio (band) as well as Dio-era Sabbath. Further add some Queensrÿche, Savatage and Van Halen into the mix and you've got Sumerlands. The production is also really nice, warm and old school sounding without sounding too clean or too cheap. The best heavy metal album in a long time.
2. Death Angel - The Evil Divide
These dudes together are one of my favorite bands these days. Their last three albums including this one are all killer! While I think I do prefer their previous album slightly more, the ultra-thrasy "The Dream Calls For Blood" (2013), this album's definitely as good as a great follow-up gets. The music is a lot more varied on this album, which I also believe is one of its strongest features, but it also takes the cake for being the best thrash I've heard all this year. I don't think there's any other record from this year which has spun more times than this one. Gongrats guys, you officially won the "thrash of the year"-award from me.
1. Devin Townsend Project - Transcendence
And winner of the year is...*double bass-blast and tom-tom roll attack*... DTP! I'm a long-time fan (for my age) of Devin's and I love a lot of the man's musical work. His last few releases, however, have been somewhat ... less interesting, I think. Particularly "Epicloud" (2012) is an effort I found quite uninteresting and it made his music sound somewhat stuck in a rut, maybe? I wasn't really expecting too much from this album to be honest, but when I finally heard the thing I was blown away! This is truly one of Devin's finest hours (and he's got quite a few) and I absolutely love the "celestial sounds" which dominate this album. The songs are huge, epic, beautiful and together they just make one hell of a musical journey. Congrats Devin and DTP - you are the album of the year!
- Bonus: Noteworthy mentions and opinions of albums that did not make the list...
DevilDriver - Trust No One
I really liked "Winter Kills" (2013) unlike most fans who seemed not to. This album, however, left a few things to be desired. A bit too safely played and also a bit too repetitive, perhaps? But for being the first album by a whole new line-up, it's pretty solid. The previous album brought more variety to the table. A few great tracks are to be found (particularly "For What It's Worth"), as well.
Testament - Brotherhood Of The Snake
Back in like 2010 or so, I kind of worshipped (old) Testament. They're one of the greatest and most important thrash outfits of all time, but their past three albums have all been kind of "meh" in my opinion. This one didn't really disappoint as my expectations were relatively low, but on the other hand did it not do well in surprising me either. What it did do, however, was making me appreciate "Dark Roots Of Earth" (2012) a lot more (in comparison). It's something, I guess.
Tygers Of Pan Tang - S/T
I still haven't heard this in its entirely yet (I think), but what I did hear so far sounded solid. I'm happy they're still around and rocking.
Hatebreed - The Concrete Confessional
I liked this one a lot but I just don't think it's a top-10 contestor. Best album they've done in a while, though.
VOLA - Inmazes
Don't think I've managed to go through this whole thing yet. It's a bit too djent-y for my taste so I take it in bits and pieces, but it's got some great soundscapes going on which makes it worthy of listening to.
Meshuggah - The Violent Sleep Of Reason
What can I say? Just another Meshuggah album. Nothing more, nothing less.
Vektor - Terminal Redux
People have gone apeshit over this one but I personally just don't hear what's so great about it. "It sounds like Coroner". Hey, I love Coroner. This does not sound like Coroner! Maybe someday, though.
Destruction - Under Attack
I do like some of Destruction's works, both old and more recent, but this one was rather bland.
The Browning - Isolation
Like the case with Meshuggah - just another Browning album. Also somewhat arguable if it's really metal or not. I enjoyed it nonetheless. Just nothing extra ordinary about it.
Vicious Rumors - Concussion Protocol
The same case again - just another Vicious Rumors album (but it's good).
Metallica - Hardwired...To Self-Destruct
I've seen this on several lists already (no wonder). Some first spots as expected as well, 'cause it's Metallica after all, you know? But in all honesty though, when they announced this I didn't know what to expect. I liked "Death Magnetic" (2008) but it wasn't awesome. However, I do think they did a solid one with this album. A few tracks are kind of "meh", but some others are really nice with a good variety, and Thrash(y)tallica is always nostalgic and welcome to me, so...yeah.
Megadeth - Dystopia
I liked "United Abominations" (2007) a lot, and you know what? It was the last Megadeth album I liked a lot. This one is better than the previous two crappy outputs by MegaDave, but way overhyped and not nearly as good as all the fanboys make it out to be. The title-track was the best Megadeth song in years, though. Love that one!
Anthrax - For All Kings
Most disappointing album of the year for me. It just sounds boring to my ears. And for fuck's sake, can the new lead guitarist try to at least look happy on stage once in a while. The guy always looks like he despises being in the band. Joey sounds great, though.
Revocation - Great Is Our Sin
A solid release but they've done better ones. This one simply didn't make the list.
Denner / Shermann - Masters Of Evil
The first full-lenght release from these Danish guitar masters in quite a while. A satisfying album no doubt, but it does fall somewhat short in comparison the duo's previous works (I guess mostly because the vocals - we all want KD, obviously).
Oceans Of Slumber - Winter
This one's the coolest modern female-fronted metal I've heard in quite a while. Why didn't it make top-10? I guess I just enjoyed the actual top-10 a bit more.
Khemmis - Hunted
It's been many years since I last had a something of an interest in doom metal. Don't ask me why 'cause the riffs and sound are usually crushing, but I guess the slow tempo just bores me too much in the long run. You know, I'm a huge Black Sabbath fan so that's pretty much all the "doom" I need. I used to be a big Candlemass fan back in the day as well, but I haven't listened to them for ten years now. These guys, however, actually made doom metal kind of interesting to my ears again.
There are tons and tons more of metal records released this year. I haven't gone through an ounce of them all yet. If a record wasn't mentioned it's because;
- It simply blew.
- I forgot about it.
- I haven't heard it at all.
- It wasn't anything particular or noteworthy in my opinion.
Cheers!
fredag 9 december 2016
Top-15 Best Songs: Judas Priest
Welcome to a new series I'm starting here, right now! A top-15 best songs list, because 10 is simply not enough most of the times. Debuting this new series will be the almighty Judas Priest. I will base the list on my personal preference rather than the general one, or which songs are hits or not. Screw that! No further description is really needed so let's get started!
15. Blood Red Skies (1988)
Powerful and epic. Rob Halford vocally in top shape. The productions sucks but it doesn't ruin the song's awesomeness. The song also sounds very good and heavy live on Epitaph (2013).
14. Dissident Aggressor (1977)
The song itself isn't anything special, I think. It's the riff and drums that totally do it for me. One of Priest's finest "harder" metal moments.
13. Diamonds And Rust (1977)
Amazing cover of the Joan Baez song. One of the finest covers of all time, as well. Just listen and feel it for yourself. Outstanding vocal performance from Rob.
12. Out In The Cold (1986)
Another one of Priest's more emotional semi-ballad tracks. I guess I'm just a sucker for those. This live version is also very nice. It says a lot about the song when the band opened up with this in 1986.
11. Victim Of Changes (1975)
The studio version is awesome. Live it's even better. My favortie official release of the song is from the Unleashed In The East live album (1979). This live clip is from the US Festival 1983.
10. You've Got Another Thing Comin' (1982)
This is the closest I get to a "given hit" on this list. Love the biker-esque sound, my kinda shit. Also GTA: Vice City back in 2002. It was the first Priest song I ever loved.
9. Turbo Lover (1986)
In one way this song is actually kind of bad, but in other ways (plural!) it's just fucking awesome! 80's cheesy, guitar synths and an infectiously good chorus. Very driving song. Great solo section.
8. Freewheel Burning (1984)
I had a crazy dream many years ago where I witnessed a cops-and-crooks car chase while I heard this song blast all over the world. High energy, great guitars. The production could be rawer, though.
7. Exiled (2008)
Many fans really disliked the Nostradamus (2008) album, but I loved it from day one. It's actually my favorite Priest record. This song is very powerful, very beautiful. I especially love the last two minutes - great build-up and conclussion.
6. Prophecy (2008)
The opening track from Nostradamus. Just listen to that riff, so heavy. It's like riding a great chopper-style motorcycle while waving around a nasty sledgehammer at people. Fuck! Yeah, that's how I feel when I hear this.
5. The Sentinel (1984)
The guitars! The intro always sounded like you stood staring against a giant concrete wall, just to have the Metallian burst through it when the song kicks off. Such a huge song.
4. Hellrider (2005)
One of those truly perfect Priest songs. Simple but most effective riffing, great dual soloing, driving drums and a catchy chorus. A modern classic from Priest.
3. Beyond The Realms Of Death (1978)
Perfection. I actually almost stole the song title once. My old band made a song back in 2006 and we needed a title. I named it "Beyond Reality Of Death" (no "the", I'm Swedish and that's our own grammatic logic! I was really bad at English back then, as well). I always felt like the title was too familiar, though. Then I realized... haha!
2. Rock Hard, Ride Free (1984)
Another metal biker anthem, just the way I like my Judas Priest. This song never stuck with during the first few years as a fan. It wasn't before a guitarist we used to have in my old band, who loved this song, played it for me and I was instantly sold. Just like that!
1. Desert Plains (1981)
A very mellow track from Priest. Yet another biker anthem, and my favorite one at that. Very emotional, powerful and with an almost dramatic chorus. It sounds like the album cover, I guess. I always imagine myself riding a chopper (motorcycle, of course) on Route 68 or something when I hear this. Anyway, it's my favorite Priest song of all time.
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OK, so that's a wrap! Some people are probably surprised or even disappointed (maybe pissed?!) that I didn't include anything from Painkiller (1990) or British Steel (1980). Don't get me wrong for that, I love those albums. Just not enough, I guess. It was really hard coming up with 15 songs. I'm a huge fan of Priest, even the Ripper albums, so there's really a whole lot to choose from. But this was a fair and honest try, and I hope you enjoyed it.
15. Blood Red Skies (1988)
Powerful and epic. Rob Halford vocally in top shape. The productions sucks but it doesn't ruin the song's awesomeness. The song also sounds very good and heavy live on Epitaph (2013).
14. Dissident Aggressor (1977)
The song itself isn't anything special, I think. It's the riff and drums that totally do it for me. One of Priest's finest "harder" metal moments.
13. Diamonds And Rust (1977)
Amazing cover of the Joan Baez song. One of the finest covers of all time, as well. Just listen and feel it for yourself. Outstanding vocal performance from Rob.
12. Out In The Cold (1986)
Another one of Priest's more emotional semi-ballad tracks. I guess I'm just a sucker for those. This live version is also very nice. It says a lot about the song when the band opened up with this in 1986.
11. Victim Of Changes (1975)
The studio version is awesome. Live it's even better. My favortie official release of the song is from the Unleashed In The East live album (1979). This live clip is from the US Festival 1983.
10. You've Got Another Thing Comin' (1982)
This is the closest I get to a "given hit" on this list. Love the biker-esque sound, my kinda shit. Also GTA: Vice City back in 2002. It was the first Priest song I ever loved.
9. Turbo Lover (1986)
In one way this song is actually kind of bad, but in other ways (plural!) it's just fucking awesome! 80's cheesy, guitar synths and an infectiously good chorus. Very driving song. Great solo section.
8. Freewheel Burning (1984)
I had a crazy dream many years ago where I witnessed a cops-and-crooks car chase while I heard this song blast all over the world. High energy, great guitars. The production could be rawer, though.
7. Exiled (2008)
Many fans really disliked the Nostradamus (2008) album, but I loved it from day one. It's actually my favorite Priest record. This song is very powerful, very beautiful. I especially love the last two minutes - great build-up and conclussion.
6. Prophecy (2008)
The opening track from Nostradamus. Just listen to that riff, so heavy. It's like riding a great chopper-style motorcycle while waving around a nasty sledgehammer at people. Fuck! Yeah, that's how I feel when I hear this.
5. The Sentinel (1984)
The guitars! The intro always sounded like you stood staring against a giant concrete wall, just to have the Metallian burst through it when the song kicks off. Such a huge song.
4. Hellrider (2005)
One of those truly perfect Priest songs. Simple but most effective riffing, great dual soloing, driving drums and a catchy chorus. A modern classic from Priest.
3. Beyond The Realms Of Death (1978)
Perfection. I actually almost stole the song title once. My old band made a song back in 2006 and we needed a title. I named it "Beyond Reality Of Death" (no "the", I'm Swedish and that's our own grammatic logic! I was really bad at English back then, as well). I always felt like the title was too familiar, though. Then I realized... haha!
2. Rock Hard, Ride Free (1984)
Another metal biker anthem, just the way I like my Judas Priest. This song never stuck with during the first few years as a fan. It wasn't before a guitarist we used to have in my old band, who loved this song, played it for me and I was instantly sold. Just like that!
1. Desert Plains (1981)
A very mellow track from Priest. Yet another biker anthem, and my favorite one at that. Very emotional, powerful and with an almost dramatic chorus. It sounds like the album cover, I guess. I always imagine myself riding a chopper (motorcycle, of course) on Route 68 or something when I hear this. Anyway, it's my favorite Priest song of all time.
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OK, so that's a wrap! Some people are probably surprised or even disappointed (maybe pissed?!) that I didn't include anything from Painkiller (1990) or British Steel (1980). Don't get me wrong for that, I love those albums. Just not enough, I guess. It was really hard coming up with 15 songs. I'm a huge fan of Priest, even the Ripper albums, so there's really a whole lot to choose from. But this was a fair and honest try, and I hope you enjoyed it.
tisdag 6 december 2016
My Top-10 Best Heavy Metal Albums Of All Time [2016]
On December 13, two years ago, I did my first list consisting of my ten (10) favorite heavy metal albums of all time. I'll tell you; it's fuckin' hard coming up with only ten albums which are supposedly the ten best. I have 3300-something played artists on my Last.fm, with the majority of the artists being some kind of metal. Then have in mind most of them did at least a few to many albums each, as well. That's quite a lot to choose from.
Another thing I did which I found rather weird was how I chose one album to represent the artists respectively as a whole. Looking back on it now, it's more like a "best heavy metal artist and their best albums respectively"-list. With that said, I decided to re-make a list and actually keep true to the list's purpose. Besides, my opinions have changed a bit during the last two years. So here ... we ... go!
Extra note: Only classic heavy and traditional metal, and NWoBHM will be included in this list. Not the "general understanding" that heavy metal means "all" metal.
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10. Saxon - Innocence Is No Excuse (1985)
Saxon is one of the greatest, hardest working and long-lived classic NWoBHM bands ever. They have made a large amount of records and still to this day they put out a record every two years. Another great feature of theirs is that they never put out a bad album. Some albums were obviously not-as-good as others, but I never disliked or got truly disappointed by a Saxon album. I feel secure when I say they're the only band on this list to have that feature.
Speaking of this particular choice of album. It's probably what you'd call their "second most commercial" release. The winner being Destiny (1988), of course. This was an attempt to break into the American market, which ultimately didn't succeed. I think it's still very much British heavy metal here, with a few touches of American influences. It's mostly the production that sounds American - huge arena-like soundscape, but that's exactly one of the features I love about 80's metal - lots of reverb all around. The songs just sound so huge on this record.
9. Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time (1986)
My first favorite band for a few years when I first started listening to heavy metal. I'll love Iron Maiden to death, but I do think the massive hype around them is overrated. I mean, in the long run their stuff just tends to be somewhat repetitive, especially Steve's songs although his the master at writing epic songs. But Maiden still deserves a lot of credit for what they've done throughout their career.
I'm one of those fans who prefer the old stuff. Mostly because I love the actual 80's sound so much, and I also think Bruce's voice was in much better shape back in his younger day. But one thing that was so great about Maiden in the 80's was how they constantly evolved into something better, in my opinion. This album was where they truly reached their peek in my book. I just love the sci-fi themed Blade Runner-esque setting from the cover art to the guitar-synths gracing the musical landscape.
8. Madison - Diamond Mistress (1984)
One of those more "odd" or "unheard" choices on this list, I imagine. Madison was an old Swedish band much in the vein of Priest, Maiden and speed metal. They only did two records with this being the first one. Their second album, unfortunately, followed the band Europe's success and did a glam metal album, which was rather bad.
This album was a great heavy metal. From the fast guitars and drums to the young and somewhat naive, but still great vocals from Göran Edman (later in John Norum and Yngwie Malmsteen's bands respectively, and more). Like many other Swedish bands in the 80's, there are also hints of ABBA influences in the bands music. As a Swede, you can kind of here that as you largely grow up with ABBA here (for reasons I'll leave obvious). It's just an amazing record!
7. Accept - Balls To The Wall (1983)
Accept is probably my favorite band coming from Germany, and there are a lot to chose from. They had a really great run in the 80's, not so much in the 90's, but then again in the 2010's (or currently). Just like with many other bands in this list, they've had such great records it's rather hard choosing one as the better. This has got to be it for me, however, as I just love the heavy sound of it. The drums in particular are real heavy and kick-ass.
The songs on this album are all great. Perhaps there isn't a real "hit", if you want to call it that, but as an album in its whole I think it's one of the strongest ones ever made. The guitars are heavy and loud, drums pounding, bass deep and Udo's vocals are in great shape. Udo even manages to do the album's ballad "Winter Dream" without sounding out of place, despite his unique vocal style.
6. Enforcer - From Beyond (2015)
I would suppose a lot of you are familiar with the Swedish band Enforcer which is currently very active and rocking throughout the world. They're a young band taking on the very best of old school metal. The recipes are all available today and Enforcer just takes that opportunity to re-do and refine the recipes, in my opinion. For not being one of the "old originals", I think they're very competent in what they're doing. Without a doubt the best band among the "revival/retro bands" these days, because they simply make it sound original again. #makeheavymetalgreatagain
5. Judas Priest - Nostradamus (2008)
I'm a huge Priest fan and love most of their catalogue except for the Tim "Ripper" records. I've got nothing against the fact that it's Ripper who sings on the two albums in question, I just didn't like the actual music on them. Other than that, I love everthing from Priest's 70's stuff to their modern stuff.
So here I come and present a rather strange choice in most fans' eyes, I suppose? The truth is, when I bought this album soon after its release, I've been amazed by it ever since. I've always thought that keyboards add a lot more to records, if done properly of course, but who can deny the quality work from a master such as Don Airey (Ozzy, Rainbow, Deep Purple, Priest, etc.)? This two-disc release is just an epic musical journey which I love to experience. It's like all the greatest JP ingredients being enhanced. Master craftmanship.
4. Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)
The almighty (Black) Sabbath, the "start of it all", as we say. Tony Iommi a.k.a. the riff maker no. 1 has driven this band to great heights throughout its career, whether it being musical or commercial heights. It doesn't matter, I love all eras of Sab and I'm a fan of all their records, even though some are not up-to-par with some others, like with most bands.
I had a really hard time choosing a favorite from Sabbath, because I love so many of them dearly, but I always keep going back to this particular one. I honestly can't say why that is exactly, but the music is just great and perhaps there are one or two extra special songs which are dear to me. It's hard to say. Nonetheless, it's an amzing record from an amazing band and it's a great record to experience the band through.
3. Dio - Holy Diver (1983)
Dio (the band) is one of my favorites of all time, and so is Ronnie's amazing voice. Everything from the raw guitar riffs, live-feel drumming, stellar bass and keyboard soundscapes. It's a band that really managed to make their music sound like "pictures", if you know what I mean? It's impossible to just listen to the music itself. You hear it and it's like making up your own fantasy movie with Dio's music as its soundtrack, and that's exactly what I love about their music.
There are many great records done by this band and I've been going back and forth throughout the years about which one is my favorite. Right now, it's this one, but at some points I favored other albums (note, plural). They were such an amazing band and RJD is actually my very favorite vocalist. The man had such an emotional and powerful voice, and it truly saddens me that we'll never hear his voice grace some new wonderful heavy metal again.
2. Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath (1984)
The most sinister and evil heavy metal album ever made. This is one of those few gems that are just flawless. Everything from King Diamond's ghostly falsetto to his darker and twisted screams. All that in company with some amazing and Judas Priest-esque twin guitars, courtesy of Hank Shermann and Michael Denner. I just simply love their style and sound, and I've never heard any more evil-sounding guitars on a heavy metal album than those found here. The ultra-distorted guitar sound is just mindblowing and most unique, as I've never heard any other band using this particular sound before or after (some black metal bands have come close, though).
This one is one of the most definitive, perfect and most amazing metal albums of all time, no matter what sub-genre we're talking. It's got all of the essential ingredients of what defines a great heavy metal record. From the classic and powerful cover art, which just suits the musical content perfectly, to every band members' creative efforts and skills. This is one of those truly immortal classics, and also one of my true holy grails in my vinyl collection.
1. Ozzy Osbourne - Diary Of A Madman (1981)
And number one ...*drum roll*...*tss!*... Ozzy Osbourne! The Godfather of heavy metal, and the one and only who made my interest for heavy metal explode back in 2002. I owe so much to Ozzy, his music and the countless hours I've been enjoying his legacy, from Sabbath to his most recent solo stuff. However, my favorite work of his lies in his 80's solo career, or more specifically up till the No More Tears album. Most of his records up till that point was awesome, with the exception of Bark At The Moon (whose title-track is still kick-ass as fuck).
This album is the perfect example of what I love about Ozzy's music: his unique voice (in awesome shape on this record, just listen to "You Can't Kill Rock 'n' Roll"), his musicians (particularly the amazing Randy Rhoads) and the songs themselves. This is truly the man's finest hour, especially with his own singing efforts in mind. This is the one album I'd chose to have with me on a deserted island.
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Honorable mentions (bands) which were ultimately rejected for not quite meeting the list's criteria or simply outdone:
Motörhead - (Several)
Danzig - Danzig (1988)
Twisted Sister - Come Out And Play (1985)
Tygers Of Pan Tang - Spellbound (1981)
Thin Lizzy - Thunder And Lightning (1983)
Ozzy, Sabbath, Dio, Priest, Saxon, Maiden, Enforcer - (More choices)
Another thing I did which I found rather weird was how I chose one album to represent the artists respectively as a whole. Looking back on it now, it's more like a "best heavy metal artist and their best albums respectively"-list. With that said, I decided to re-make a list and actually keep true to the list's purpose. Besides, my opinions have changed a bit during the last two years. So here ... we ... go!
Extra note: Only classic heavy and traditional metal, and NWoBHM will be included in this list. Not the "general understanding" that heavy metal means "all" metal.
--------
10. Saxon - Innocence Is No Excuse (1985)
Speaking of this particular choice of album. It's probably what you'd call their "second most commercial" release. The winner being Destiny (1988), of course. This was an attempt to break into the American market, which ultimately didn't succeed. I think it's still very much British heavy metal here, with a few touches of American influences. It's mostly the production that sounds American - huge arena-like soundscape, but that's exactly one of the features I love about 80's metal - lots of reverb all around. The songs just sound so huge on this record.
9. Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time (1986)
I'm one of those fans who prefer the old stuff. Mostly because I love the actual 80's sound so much, and I also think Bruce's voice was in much better shape back in his younger day. But one thing that was so great about Maiden in the 80's was how they constantly evolved into something better, in my opinion. This album was where they truly reached their peek in my book. I just love the sci-fi themed Blade Runner-esque setting from the cover art to the guitar-synths gracing the musical landscape.
8. Madison - Diamond Mistress (1984)
This album was a great heavy metal. From the fast guitars and drums to the young and somewhat naive, but still great vocals from Göran Edman (later in John Norum and Yngwie Malmsteen's bands respectively, and more). Like many other Swedish bands in the 80's, there are also hints of ABBA influences in the bands music. As a Swede, you can kind of here that as you largely grow up with ABBA here (for reasons I'll leave obvious). It's just an amazing record!
7. Accept - Balls To The Wall (1983)
The songs on this album are all great. Perhaps there isn't a real "hit", if you want to call it that, but as an album in its whole I think it's one of the strongest ones ever made. The guitars are heavy and loud, drums pounding, bass deep and Udo's vocals are in great shape. Udo even manages to do the album's ballad "Winter Dream" without sounding out of place, despite his unique vocal style.
6. Enforcer - From Beyond (2015)
5. Judas Priest - Nostradamus (2008)
So here I come and present a rather strange choice in most fans' eyes, I suppose? The truth is, when I bought this album soon after its release, I've been amazed by it ever since. I've always thought that keyboards add a lot more to records, if done properly of course, but who can deny the quality work from a master such as Don Airey (Ozzy, Rainbow, Deep Purple, Priest, etc.)? This two-disc release is just an epic musical journey which I love to experience. It's like all the greatest JP ingredients being enhanced. Master craftmanship.
4. Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)
I had a really hard time choosing a favorite from Sabbath, because I love so many of them dearly, but I always keep going back to this particular one. I honestly can't say why that is exactly, but the music is just great and perhaps there are one or two extra special songs which are dear to me. It's hard to say. Nonetheless, it's an amzing record from an amazing band and it's a great record to experience the band through.
3. Dio - Holy Diver (1983)
There are many great records done by this band and I've been going back and forth throughout the years about which one is my favorite. Right now, it's this one, but at some points I favored other albums (note, plural). They were such an amazing band and RJD is actually my very favorite vocalist. The man had such an emotional and powerful voice, and it truly saddens me that we'll never hear his voice grace some new wonderful heavy metal again.
2. Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath (1984)
This one is one of the most definitive, perfect and most amazing metal albums of all time, no matter what sub-genre we're talking. It's got all of the essential ingredients of what defines a great heavy metal record. From the classic and powerful cover art, which just suits the musical content perfectly, to every band members' creative efforts and skills. This is one of those truly immortal classics, and also one of my true holy grails in my vinyl collection.
1. Ozzy Osbourne - Diary Of A Madman (1981)
This album is the perfect example of what I love about Ozzy's music: his unique voice (in awesome shape on this record, just listen to "You Can't Kill Rock 'n' Roll"), his musicians (particularly the amazing Randy Rhoads) and the songs themselves. This is truly the man's finest hour, especially with his own singing efforts in mind. This is the one album I'd chose to have with me on a deserted island.
--------
Honorable mentions (bands) which were ultimately rejected for not quite meeting the list's criteria or simply outdone:
Motörhead - (Several)
Danzig - Danzig (1988)
Twisted Sister - Come Out And Play (1985)
Tygers Of Pan Tang - Spellbound (1981)
Thin Lizzy - Thunder And Lightning (1983)
Ozzy, Sabbath, Dio, Priest, Saxon, Maiden, Enforcer - (More choices)
tisdag 8 november 2016
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and its microtransactions
A bunch of players out there are sure to be familiar with the Deus Ex series, it goes back quite a while now. Personally I didn't play any of the franchise's installments before Human Revolution in 2011, but that one really sold me. It's one of the best stealth games I've played and it also boosted my interest in the genre as a whole. I was looking forward to the next Deus Ex for a few years after that, and just recently Mankind Divided was released.
Although it's already been out for a little while by now, I actually haven't gotten around to get it for myself yet. The reason behind this is because I've been kind of broke as of late. I recently bought myself a new gaming PC as my old faithful friend finally gave in after 10 years, although nothing was playable on it for the past five years.
I've been a console player (again) for the past 6-7 years, and thus I played Human Revolution on my old Xbox 360. I really like my new PC, but I've lost a lot of my practice and skills from back in the day. I'd still like to play Mankind Divided on PS4 to get a similar experience to that which I had with its predecessor, but seeing as I'm not currently playing a lot of PS4, the game's been put on further hold for me.
I was actually looking around some webstores for new games now, as I'm a bit curious about Watch Dogs 2 (even though the first one was pretty damn bad), only to remember about this game being released recently. I went on to look it up some more, only to find out the game has gotten microtransactions this time around.
Microtransactions are really something that's like an infection from my point of view. They're like a cheap and greedy way of cashing in more and more from us consumers, and I think it's pretty damn disrespectful to us faithful gamers. This trend is particularly annoying considering how we are presented with largely unfinished games these days, or there are five different editions where all of them come with some kind of exclusive content.
I know all of this is such old news but still! Wherever did the good old customers' satisfaction value go? They split their products up into pieces, often over-pricing them (as DLC:s) as well, and then find ways to milk even more out of the effin' things. There are, of course, a few who does this microtransactions bullshit but still do it somewhat okey. Rockstar Games is one company that does it, for instance. They have 'em, but they also released all of GTA Online's DLC:s for free, and you do earn enough from just actually playing the game and having fun. If anyone's gonna incorporate micro's, then at least do it decently.
Pre-order bonuses, *insert fancy-ass name here* edition exclusives, Gamestop exclusive, remastered edition, complete anniversary edition, cash-4-cash, pay-to-win, etc... FUCK YOU, and kiss my ass. Honestly, are you so fucking dry on new gaming ideas that you have to remaster all your games from two years ago? Unbelievable.
I'm not a stock holder, I'm not their CEO or whatever, I'm just the customer ... and that doesn't seem to be worth a whole lot these days. But you know what? I do have the power, we all do, we - the customers. We have the power to say no, keep our wallets in our pockets, and let all of them fucking starve. If they're gonna be greedy, then let them. We'll be cheap.
Eidos Montreal, Square Enix and whoever else that has helped fucking the gaming business up. All I can say to you is how disappointed I am. As a customer, I hereby decline the offer to buy your new product. I, your former customer, feel like I've had enough of this shitty business model of your industry, and I will no longer support it.
Games with old fashioned expansions are one thing, but this DLC and now increasing microtransactions industry has gone too far. I encourage all other players/customers, like me, who feel forgotten and cheated for years to stand against this greedy business evolution.
A big shoutout to the one and only great gaming studio I can think of today - CD Projekt Red. The Witcher 3 ... now that's a full game with expansions ("DLC:s") done right.
#makegamesgreatagain #couldnotresist
lördag 5 november 2016
10 Epic Metal Songs
Today I'm gonna be tackling ten of the most epic metal songs I know. By epic I don't necessarily mean in its literal sense, e.g. songs with lots of orchestral strings and huge soundscapes and whatnot. In my view, an "epic song" can mean it's just a huge, bombastic, great composition. Like the song is a journey, or has a great build-up which makes it moody and powerful.
Bear in mind, though... This is not a list of chronological order, nor a list of the "10 best". It's simply just a collection of ten favorite epic songs of mine. But why keep on draggin' this out, let's get started!
10. Power Trip - The Hammer Of Doubt
Probably the best riff-mad thrash/hardcore act out there today. This is the closer on the band's debut. Eerie intro with an old movie sample put in, riff fest, hardcore-thrashy breakdowns, and then a fading intro of just bliss. "Manifest Decimation", in-fucking-deed.
9. Bathory - Blood On Ice
Bathory, or Quorthon, didn't exactly fall short on epic numbers. Very much the opposite in fact. However, this one always was close to me. You can really the spirit of this song come to life.
8. Faith No More - The Real Thing
Although this excellent band is argubly most known for their song called "Epic", I as a fan always found many of their album tracks to be of better value. This is without a doubt my favorite FNM song. Pretty long, quite repetitive, but very powerful.
7. Jane's Addiction - Three Days
Probably not a song non-fans would recognize or associate this band with, but for fans this is not rarely their most ultimate track. "Three Days" has been said to be made of three songs put together, each of all describing one of three days which the band's lead singer experienced (I believe the album art also depicts this, but don't take my word for it).
6. Iron Maiden - Hallowed By Thy Name
Maiden certainly is another of those bands which doesn't fall short on epic songs. This is undeniably the most known classic epic piece from them, and for good reason.
5. Type O Negative - Love You To Death
A case of a song perhaps not being epic in its literal sense, but there's no other love song which is more powerful than this, in my opinion. This is truly one of my favorite songs of all time. Just listen, feel the build, and all the fucking whiney emos from ten years ago could only wish to make something as powerful, real and genuine as this. This, this is love and heartbreak truly put into music.
4. Devin Townsend - The Death Of Music
Closing Devin Townsend's first solo album, Ocean Machine, it's just a clear proof of what amazing talent this man would come to provide for the twenty years ahead (so far). It's a long and repetitive piece, but very powerful and emotional. The end game of it is just the epitome of epicness. This live clip only further proves it, as the man himself has goosebumps singing his own words. That's how epic this is.
3. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath, one of the truly best bands of all time, if not the very best. The first album, the first song, the title track. No other band in history launched their musical career in a better way than Sabbath. This song is the birth of metal.
2. Amon Amarth - Embrace Of The Endless Ocean
I know a lot of people has got shit to say about this band, and quite frankly I don't care. I fucking love Amon Amarth! People do, however, seem to miss out on the greater tracks of theirs, only focusing on tracks which were made singles/into music videos. It makes me a bit angry with them, as this song is better than anything they ever put on video. My family descends from ancient swedes so maybe I am just biased, but I really feel the sorrowful yet courageous last journey of vikings in this.
1. Watain - Waters Of Ain
Without a doubt the most epic song of all time. No more words are needed.
Bear in mind, though... This is not a list of chronological order, nor a list of the "10 best". It's simply just a collection of ten favorite epic songs of mine. But why keep on draggin' this out, let's get started!
10. Power Trip - The Hammer Of Doubt
Probably the best riff-mad thrash/hardcore act out there today. This is the closer on the band's debut. Eerie intro with an old movie sample put in, riff fest, hardcore-thrashy breakdowns, and then a fading intro of just bliss. "Manifest Decimation", in-fucking-deed.
9. Bathory - Blood On Ice
Bathory, or Quorthon, didn't exactly fall short on epic numbers. Very much the opposite in fact. However, this one always was close to me. You can really the spirit of this song come to life.
8. Faith No More - The Real Thing
Although this excellent band is argubly most known for their song called "Epic", I as a fan always found many of their album tracks to be of better value. This is without a doubt my favorite FNM song. Pretty long, quite repetitive, but very powerful.
7. Jane's Addiction - Three Days
Probably not a song non-fans would recognize or associate this band with, but for fans this is not rarely their most ultimate track. "Three Days" has been said to be made of three songs put together, each of all describing one of three days which the band's lead singer experienced (I believe the album art also depicts this, but don't take my word for it).
6. Iron Maiden - Hallowed By Thy Name
Maiden certainly is another of those bands which doesn't fall short on epic songs. This is undeniably the most known classic epic piece from them, and for good reason.
5. Type O Negative - Love You To Death
A case of a song perhaps not being epic in its literal sense, but there's no other love song which is more powerful than this, in my opinion. This is truly one of my favorite songs of all time. Just listen, feel the build, and all the fucking whiney emos from ten years ago could only wish to make something as powerful, real and genuine as this. This, this is love and heartbreak truly put into music.
4. Devin Townsend - The Death Of Music
Closing Devin Townsend's first solo album, Ocean Machine, it's just a clear proof of what amazing talent this man would come to provide for the twenty years ahead (so far). It's a long and repetitive piece, but very powerful and emotional. The end game of it is just the epitome of epicness. This live clip only further proves it, as the man himself has goosebumps singing his own words. That's how epic this is.
3. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath, one of the truly best bands of all time, if not the very best. The first album, the first song, the title track. No other band in history launched their musical career in a better way than Sabbath. This song is the birth of metal.
2. Amon Amarth - Embrace Of The Endless Ocean
I know a lot of people has got shit to say about this band, and quite frankly I don't care. I fucking love Amon Amarth! People do, however, seem to miss out on the greater tracks of theirs, only focusing on tracks which were made singles/into music videos. It makes me a bit angry with them, as this song is better than anything they ever put on video. My family descends from ancient swedes so maybe I am just biased, but I really feel the sorrowful yet courageous last journey of vikings in this.
1. Watain - Waters Of Ain
Without a doubt the most epic song of all time. No more words are needed.
torsdag 3 november 2016
The irony of morons
Lately I've been victim and/or a witness to a lot of stupid people in several places on the Internet. Places which particularly come to mind are Instagram, GTAforums.com, Last.fm and YouTube. Now this probably isn't a surprise for most people with an average IQ or better, but personally I feel like the idiocy on the Internet has really gotten strong this year.
When I watch videos on YouTube I usually read the comments a lot. This is a place were many people show their true knowledge and comprehension. YouTube is possibly the worst place on the Internet right now for this, and I find it quite scary to be honest. I can watch/listen to some metal on YouTube and when I get to the comment section, it's just like a warzone of words between people.
The first thing that comes to mind is, "it must be kids", because younger teenagers or whatever tend to be pretty ... well, stupid and immature. But no! There are a lot of adults, men in particular, who sit there acting like metal elitist children and trying to insult other people. Metal elitists and fucking hipsters who imply things should be negative to be good (what?!). What kind of mindset is that? How can these kids between 10-18 and adults between 18-50 be that stupid and immature? It's truly beyond me!
A classic example of this could be something like this:
A: I think Metallica is good and all, but I think newer stuff like Evile is better.
B: how dafuq can u say they better? metallica is fucking awesome, their da best! poser
I see a whole lot of shit like this. People who can't seem to accept that others' opinions differ from their own. Even middle aged men are behaving like this (including the inability to spell or speak grammatically correct, like I showcased). I know this isn't anything new, but you think it will have to end and get better at some point? Apparently not yet for another good while, it seems.
Last.fm is another place where elitists let their immature hatred breed and (try to) feed off of open-minded people's opinions. The ever-going Metallica vs. all, Metallica vs. Megadeth, Pantera sucks, Lamb of God sucks, [insert unreadable band logo here] is the only trve metal. You know, this shit could almost go on forever. It's really tiresome.
We have Instagram, which I suppose most people use these days (at least so it seems). That has been a relatively mature and good social media platform from my point of view, until recently that is. Big accounts like 9gag or other famous people/brands who's got a lot of followers have started to get some really ignorant and stupid commentators. These are often kids, I can admit, but that leaves me wishing for a "kids ban" option. Trust me, in many cases an 18 minimum sure is required.
So why am I writing all of this? Am I offended? No, I am not offended. I'm probably the biggest and most hateful misanthropic dick you'd meet, but at least I don't jump others unprovokedly (I'm a misanthropic asshole; I stay away from people as much as I can). With that said, when I see moronic people attacking others, I just feel like being the better asshole. I get my facts straight, first and foremost. I keep it mature and try to do my best grammatically, although English isn't my mother tongue. That is the difference. I'm an asshole against assholes just being assholes, and I fucking hate assholes.
At the end of the day, what bugs me the most is the irony of it all. How these assholes for most part, really, attack others for being "kids" and posers and whatnot, while they themselves can't even fucking spell or speak properly. I've encountered so many people whose mother tongue is English, and they can't even speak it nearly as good as me. Middle-aged men who can't spell, acting like 13-year-olds know-it-all:s. I mean, how pathetic isn't that?
The funniest assholes are the ones trying to insult you because they unknowingly misunderstand you, and when you put 'em in their place, or "own them", they bail like beaten dogs with their tail between their legs. Talk about the insult being on yourself. That's so damn ironic, I really love when that happens!
Then we also have all the smartasses out there who think "irony" is the same thing as "sarcasm". Congratulations, morons! You are truly superior everybody else!
When I watch videos on YouTube I usually read the comments a lot. This is a place were many people show their true knowledge and comprehension. YouTube is possibly the worst place on the Internet right now for this, and I find it quite scary to be honest. I can watch/listen to some metal on YouTube and when I get to the comment section, it's just like a warzone of words between people.
The first thing that comes to mind is, "it must be kids", because younger teenagers or whatever tend to be pretty ... well, stupid and immature. But no! There are a lot of adults, men in particular, who sit there acting like metal elitist children and trying to insult other people. Metal elitists and fucking hipsters who imply things should be negative to be good (what?!). What kind of mindset is that? How can these kids between 10-18 and adults between 18-50 be that stupid and immature? It's truly beyond me!
A classic example of this could be something like this:
A: I think Metallica is good and all, but I think newer stuff like Evile is better.
B: how dafuq can u say they better? metallica is fucking awesome, their da best! poser
I see a whole lot of shit like this. People who can't seem to accept that others' opinions differ from their own. Even middle aged men are behaving like this (including the inability to spell or speak grammatically correct, like I showcased). I know this isn't anything new, but you think it will have to end and get better at some point? Apparently not yet for another good while, it seems.
Last.fm is another place where elitists let their immature hatred breed and (try to) feed off of open-minded people's opinions. The ever-going Metallica vs. all, Metallica vs. Megadeth, Pantera sucks, Lamb of God sucks, [insert unreadable band logo here] is the only trve metal. You know, this shit could almost go on forever. It's really tiresome.
We have Instagram, which I suppose most people use these days (at least so it seems). That has been a relatively mature and good social media platform from my point of view, until recently that is. Big accounts like 9gag or other famous people/brands who's got a lot of followers have started to get some really ignorant and stupid commentators. These are often kids, I can admit, but that leaves me wishing for a "kids ban" option. Trust me, in many cases an 18 minimum sure is required.
So why am I writing all of this? Am I offended? No, I am not offended. I'm probably the biggest and most hateful misanthropic dick you'd meet, but at least I don't jump others unprovokedly (I'm a misanthropic asshole; I stay away from people as much as I can). With that said, when I see moronic people attacking others, I just feel like being the better asshole. I get my facts straight, first and foremost. I keep it mature and try to do my best grammatically, although English isn't my mother tongue. That is the difference. I'm an asshole against assholes just being assholes, and I fucking hate assholes.
At the end of the day, what bugs me the most is the irony of it all. How these assholes for most part, really, attack others for being "kids" and posers and whatnot, while they themselves can't even fucking spell or speak properly. I've encountered so many people whose mother tongue is English, and they can't even speak it nearly as good as me. Middle-aged men who can't spell, acting like 13-year-olds know-it-all:s. I mean, how pathetic isn't that?
The funniest assholes are the ones trying to insult you because they unknowingly misunderstand you, and when you put 'em in their place, or "own them", they bail like beaten dogs with their tail between their legs. Talk about the insult being on yourself. That's so damn ironic, I really love when that happens!
Then we also have all the smartasses out there who think "irony" is the same thing as "sarcasm". Congratulations, morons! You are truly superior everybody else!
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