Just good songs. Thats the theme. And no, its not going to cover all the songs I think are good, just what ever pops up on my playlist that I think you need to hear. Songs to make you sing along, songs to make you headbang, songs to get you FREAKING PUMPED UP!
So why ‘Just Good Songs’? Well, I have been jumping around different artists and different albums since last weeks New Music Mix is nothing amazing. Like I think there was one song I saved to my library from it. Apple Music completely phoned it in this week.
So lets go! I am going to limit myself to 5 (bands or songs – theres no hard or fast rule here) to make sure this post actually gets finished and published. Otherwise, I may just find out at what point WordPress crashes… And kicking it off
We have Five Finger Death Punch! Because sometimes you just want honest-to-God metal, without the pomp, without the frills. Just proper headbanging awesomeness. There are so many fantastic songs from this band, considering they are going into the studio to record their eighth (!!) album. I have to highlight their entire American Capitalist album for just being amazing. From the first song – the title track – to the last, its just amazing. Under and Over It and The Pride are other standouts on this album. 5FDP are purely American to their core, and probably the most openly ‘Support the Troops’ band out there. They even support charities that support families of police officers and first-responders killed in the line of duty.
Now, we shift gears completely. As in take out the gearbox, because the entire engine has fallen out the car switching gears.
Gamma Sector is a Slamming Alien Deathcore band from the American Midwest. Now whats so special about that, you ask? These guys, at the time of this recording, were all in their teens. Like we’re talking 16/17 here! These guys have a great future ahead of them if this is how they sound now. Pure, brutal, metal. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but hey, sometimes you just need to hear the sound of an earthquake in music form. And for those that don’t know if they’ll like Slamming Alien Deathcore, here’s the video… Please enjoy!
I can’t remember if I have spoken about this band yet, but I am going to treat it as if I have, and you are aware. Presenting Cypecore’s The Alliance. A band set in the future, where humanity almost wiped themselves out with World War III, and now blend metal with flesh. Their drummer is a robot ‘made’ by the lead singer. This band has really clean sound. And the drummer is worthy of your man-crush! If you have time for only one song, the title track – The Alliance – is well worth your listen. Clean vocals, amazing sound stage, all their songs are really well put together. If you have more time, listen to Dissatisfactory. Thats the song that got me on board with this future! When Apple Music’s recommendations work, I end up with bands like Cypecore in my library.
Without missing a beat (ha – get it! Pun!), lets assault our senses with Xerath. A band that disbanded in 2017, but graced us with some amazing music. Their official genre is Orchestral Extreme Metal… My favourite song from them is 2053. Whats up with the future theme suddenly? Anyways! Its amazing. So well put together, and the eb and flow of the music gives it the feeling of give and take.
This Music Monday has been a bit odd. Starting off highlighting your very typical metal sound, and a slow song, then jumping right into the heavy. Although, I wouldn’t call Cypecore heavy, so maybe I did that on purpose. Actually, I am going to claim it. I did. I did do it on purpose.
Now as we draw to a close, there is one more to highlight. One more song that made it onto my playlist for tonight that rose above the rest. One that stood out from all the good, to be brilliant, amazing, headbang-worthy.
Corium is the material that forms when a nuclear plant melts down. Its a mixture of the concrete thats melted with the fission rods and nuclear fuel from the core of the reactor. It is so radioactive that it stays hot enough to melt concrete, and even poring water over it results in the temperature spiking to over 2,800 degrees Celsius! Corium is also the title of a Heaven Shall Burn song.
Heaven Shall Burn is a German Extreme Metal band, formed in 1996 and introduced to me in 2006 or there abouts with their song The Weapon They Fear – an anti-political music video in tow. I have been following this band ever since. Every one of their songs makes me want to stand up and try break my neck with pure headbanging force. And Corium is no exception. Its very anti-nuclear lyrically, and the main riff gives off the feeling of an empty world, left with nothing but desolation. Its a great example of the music extending the message, and which is why it will always be one of my favourite songs.
For those wondering about the band’s name, do not fret.
It’s not that we’re huge Marduk fans, but we liked the name. It sounds a bit provoking and so people ask us again and again for the meaning behind our name. [..] We use the term “heaven” as a metaphor for some kind of a fake paradise that people create in their heads. Some people close their eyes and don’t see the truth surrounding them. So this kind of fake heaven should burn. Some people might think that our name is an anti-religious statement, but it isn’t.
Matthias Voigt (ex-drummer), in an interview with DecoyMusic.com
Here you have 5 bands slash songs for you to sink your teeth into. A little on the heavier side, yes. But we all need that in our lives. If you find something you like, or if you have any thoughts, or hey! even if you just want to chat about it, feel free to leave a comment, or find me on Twitter. I am always keen for a metal chat.
PS: Any clue as to what the header image is for this post?
