3rd Entry or Me and Metal
posted August 15, 2007, 1:15 pm | Log In To Post Comments | 
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Tags: Metallica, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Cradle of Filth, Emperor, And Justice For All, Screaming For Vengeance, The Black Album, Reign In Blood, Number Of The Beast
Picture this, if you will; a muggy summer's day. A young child, visiting his father and rummaging through his massive collection of vinyl, tapes and CDs. "Let me put something on for you" he says to his son. After dropping a CD into the changer and adjusting some knobs, the opening notes of "Blackened" slowly start to phase in. As the lead progresses into a thrashing frenzy, the young child feels an instant and unmistakable connection with the aggressive assault upon his aural senses. "This is Metallica, son. This is metal. And this is what we do when we listen to metal." Here his father throws up the 'horns' and begins headbanging. The boy, caught up in the newfound emotions, imitates his dad and rocks out like the little metalhead he had become.
And so it began for me and metal. I began my collection of albums with that same copy of Metallica's "...And Justice For All", amongst other classic-rock standards and golden metal gems like Judas Priest's "Screaming For Vengeance" and Megadeth's "Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?". Over the years I've encountered every subgenre of metal known to man, and I've wound up enjoying some bands from each and every one. Black metal has always been a favorite for it's haunting atmosphere and care-free approach to creating chaos through music. That world was opened to me through random chance, finding a Cradle of Filth song entitled "Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids" on a now-defunct music station. From there it was into the mainstays, Emperor and Mayhem and Darkthrone, Bathory and Venom and all the rest. Death Metal, while never carrying the same appeal, gave me Nile, undoubtedly the most creative band of that ilk. The combination of Egyptian mythology and high-charged death metal is a match made in the deepest pits of hell. Simply put, me and metal have always gotten along. I am a listener who clings to epicness in music, grand visions and even larger results. This is metal's greatest appeal; the power of it all makes for the most extreme of emotional reactions. It's in the way Metallica's "One" can still leave me thrashing about wildly during the middle-breakdown section, or how throwing the horns up for Manson's "The Beautiful People" and singing along can still inspire anyone in hearing distance to do the same. Metal is the heart of my musical being without a doubt. All that being said, here's a few lists for new metal fans to take into account. If you haven't heard any of these bands/albums, you're going to want to do so. Really. You know you do.
-Top 5 "Basic" Metal Albums For Beginners-
Metallica - The Black Album (but you're going to want "...and justice for all" eventually)
Slayer - Reign In Blood
Iron Maiden - Number Of The Beast (less extreme than the previous two mentioned)
Judas Priest - Painkiller
Dio - Holy Diver
-Top 5 "Extreme" Metal Albums For Beginners-
Death - The Sound Of Perseverance
Meshuggah - Chaosphere
Strapping Young Lad - City
Nile - Annihilation Of The Wicked
Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
-15 Metal Downloads-- Metallica - One (...And Justice For All)
- Opeth - Demon Of The Fall (...My Arms, Your Hearse)
- Ozzy Osbourne - Mr. Crowley (Blizzard Of Oz)
- Megadeth - Hangar 18 (Rust In Peace)
- In Flames - Pinball Map (Clayman)
- Stratovarius - Black Diamond (Visions)
- Slayer - Hell Awaits (Hell Awaits)
- Queensrhyche - Revolution Calling (Operation Mindcrime)
- Blind Guardian - Thorn (Nightfall In Middle Earth)
- Death - Crystal Mountain (Symbolic)
- Kreator - Riot of Violence (Pleasure to Kill)
- Pantera - Floods (The Great Southern Trendkill)
- Hammerfall - Steel Meets Steel (Glory to the Brave)
- Motley Crue - Shout at the Devil (Shout at the Devil)
- Anthrax - Indians (Among The Living)
(It took me longer to tag this entry than it did to write it.)
On the block: the endless depth of post-rock. nfl predictions (for all you betters out there). what's wrong with mixing technology with music?
Comments:
Haha, he sure did. He pretty much formed my taste in music for me, between all the 80's thrash and classic rock. I am 22, so I didn't really start paying attention to new music until around 8 or 9, and by that time it was all grunge and nu-metal was just beginning. Nirvana, Korn and Pearl Jam became favorites at that time. I do wish I could have been old enough, in the 80's, to fully enjoy the thrash scene at the time.
Additional Tags: Metallica, ...And Justice For All, Video Games
posted on August 21, 2007, 7:55 pm
My God, your dad played you megadeath?!, I, like Dennis, now feel ancient :-(
posted on August 21, 2007, 5:11 pm
Haha. Glad I brought back some memories. I was listening to a classic rock station the other night and they have a "Mandatory Metallica" thing (like most rock stations seem to do). Heard "Blackened" and it brought that memory back, inspired this post.
posted on August 16, 2007, 2:42 pm
Awesome post. You just made me feel a billion years old with your "Blackened" comment though. And Kreator, I'd actually forgotten all about them. I used to have Pleasure To Kill on cassette.
posted on August 15, 2007, 2:16 pm
