The "metal horns" make me laugh. The sign is so cliche. How do edgey metal-heads justify ripping bands for being too mainstream, all-the-while, continuing to throw up this tired hand sign? The whole "metal is the devil's music" drove its popularity in the seventies and eighties, but the genre is so watered down and the afforementioned hand sign is dead.
Paraphrasing Mark Madden, top ten lists are for simpletons with ADHD, but people eat them up. No one wants to read a two page rant on how much I hate pop music (no one wants to read period, let alone anything I write.) However, people love lists. They're simple, quick and they stir debate. Without further adieu, here's my list of the top ten ballads of the last thirteen years.
As with the term "anthem," the term "ballad" is subjective. I view a ballad as a slow acoustic song: A piano, an acoustic guitar, strings, light percussion and a narrative. A ballad spins off of the song's meaning and emotional effect. The primary instrument should be the voice. A ballad can't be happy.
Ballads are different from power ballads. Power ballads are self-explanatory: Power ballads start slow and build up to heavier, more driving rhythms and instrumentation. For power ballads, see songs like Breaking Benjamin's Give Me a Sign, SLIPKNOT's Snuff or Fuel's Hemorrhage.
10. Seether's Broken: I'm hesitant to put this song on my top since its full-band remakes overshadows this version. At first, Broken was a simple ballad off of Disclaimer. Later, frontman Shaun Morgan partnered with his girlfriend of the time, Evanescence's Amy Lee and remade Broken into a duet power ballad.
9. Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss' Whiskey Lullaby: Whiskey Lullaby is the most beautiful original to come out of country music this decade, hands down. Paisley and Krauss' harmonic voices together are haunting.
8. Tie: Kelly Clarkson's Because of You and Dixie Chicks' Travelin' Soldier: Because of You tells the story of Kelly Clarkson's rough childhood. Many people misinterpret the song as a beak-up song, but the meaning is much deeper and more personal. Travelin' Soldier is among the saddest war songs of all time. The narration tells the story of a waitress who meets a Vietnam-bound soldier who writes to her while he serves. Later in the song, she finds out the soldier was killed.
7. Christina Perri's Jar of Hearts: I wish I could put this song higher. This song was my guilty pleasure a few years ago when I could still tolerate Star 100.7. Perri's husky, beautiful voice and harmonies still give me goosebumps. While I admit she is stunning, I abhor the tattoos.
5. Three Doors Down's Here Without You: Three Doors Down never foresaw this song's success when they released it. Its reception was helped in part by the Iraq war. The song became an anthem for grieving loved ones, families missing their soldiers overseas and troops missing families back home. Peace sells, but so do war songs. See: Toby Keith's The Angry American.
3. Gary Jules' Mad World: This song gained popularity from being played in Donnie Darko. Gary Jules' Mad World is a cover of a Tears for Fears song. Adam Lambert covered the song also, but no one did it as well as Jules. The music video adds another dimension to the depression and hopelessness of the song.
2. Rise Against's Hero of War: Hero of War was inspired by the stories lead singer Mcllrath heard from returning soldiers. It's a song that speaks of the horrors and traumas soldiers endure when they're overseas. The song is wrought with pain. How would you feel if you murdered a little girl?
1. Johnny Cash's Hurt: The top ballad of this century is a cover of a Nine Inch Nails song. This song will make you cry. You will hurt with Cash. It was the dying country star's final hit and is seen as his epitaph.
Honorable Mention: Beck's Lost Cause, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' O Children, Iron and Wine's Naked as We Come, Mumford and Son's White Blank Page
The most popular American talent show, American Idol is tumbling down Mt. Olympus and hitting every rock on the way.
Idol debuted before the wave of inane reality shows hit and became the most popular reality show in America, where it remained for more than a decade. The show gained popularity as it permitted anyone to try his/her voice in front of a panel of judges in hopes of being crowned "the next American idol." Talented singers aside, viewers tuned in to see the surly British judge, Simon Cowell.
Simon, the long lost fraternal twin of Gordon Ramsay, was infamous for his scathing criticisms and blunt honesty. His harsh quips made the show more realistic and comedic. Simon's brutality was often cushioned by fellow judge Paula "I don't do drugs" Abdul's liberal compliments and Randy "not part of the Jackson 5" Jackson's irrelevant, at times incoherent and unoriginal commentary.
The trio (moreso Simon and Paula) continued interjecting occasional drama until 2010 when Cowell jumped ship. Afterwards, the ship hit an iceberg. Randy remains on the show, but who cares anyway, dawg?
Idol tried to replace the smug, wisecracking judge with a committee of washed-up singers/Ellen, listed below:
Kara DioGuardi: She ended up being a better looking clone of Paula. I don't recall one instance that she dealt appropriate criticism.
Ellen DeGeneres: What the hell qualified Ellen to judge singing talent? Her commentary was often rambling, circular and off-base.
Jennifer Lopez: J-Lo was even nicer than Paula. She was incapable of being mean. She would break out in tears before she would tell a contestant that his/her voice sucked.
Steven Tyler: Idol had to replace Simon and even Tyler's bandmates think he's an asshole. Where did it go? The washed up, effeminate frontman of Aerosmith treated Idol as his playground to direct off-topic, lewd and often creepy remarks towards attractive young performers. Did I mention he looks like a grandmother?
Keith Urban: Keith serves little purpose as a judge other than as eye candy. He is hot, though.
Nikki Minaj: As if her songs weren't bad enough, now we have to see the Roman ruhtard and hear her bumbling, idiotic and hormonal commentary. On the flip side, who knows atrocious music better than Minaj?
Idol's time in the sun is over. Simon is irreplaceable and American Idol is adrift in a see of other bad talent shows. Soon, a subservient Idol will bow before the X-Factor, the Voice, America's Got Talent and any other redundant shows to come out of the woodwork.
Correction: Mariah Carey is also a judge on American Idol. Like most of America, I forgot she exists.
What is an anthem to you? Is it a song the defines your existence? Is it what makes you headbang the hardest? Is it the song that you crank when you hear it on Pandora?
For me, an anthem is a song that I would blare at 2:00 in the morning with my windows rolled down in fifteen degree weather. It's a middle finger. It's a call to action.
10. Shinedown's Devour: Devour is best known for being on the Madden Football 09 soundtrack. The opening drum march prepares the listener for a hard, fast paced song. Shinedown has so many excellent tracks, but Devour is their closest anthem.
9. 30 Seconds to Mars's The Kill: Has anyone seen this music video? It's bizarre and creepy as hell. Regardless, the song is artistic and unique, not to mention that it's still huge. Can you believe this song is ten years old?
8. Tie - Drowning Pool's Bodies and Disturbed's Down with the Sickness: My sister hates that I included these too songs because of how overplayed they are, so I listed these two driving hits together. Both songs lead in with a whisper and have unforgettable hooks. Who doesn't want to bang their heads when David commands you to "get up, come on get down with the sickness?" On the other hand, Bodies is almost metal in its brutality. While David tells you to get up, Dave Williams from Drowning Pool commands you to "let the bodies hit the floor." And who can forget the growl/scream he unleashes towards the end? Both songs kick ass.
7. Rise Against's The Good Left Undone: Rise Against never spares a poetic middle finger towards conservatism. The Good Left Undone is fast paced and the lyrics state "All because of you/ I haven't slept in so long/ when I do I dream/ of drowning in the ocean/ longing for the shore/ where I can lay my head/ I'll follow your voice/ all you have to do is shout it." Still with me? There's a lot going on in this song, but it's fast, it's heavy and it's full of angst.
6. Atreyu's Falling Down: Atreyu diehards will chastise me for featuring a song off of their 2007 album Lead Sails and Paper Anchors (post "sell-out.") However, Falling Down has all the makings of an anthem, with its driving beat and catchy chorus. If this was a "best heavy metal anthems" list, I would pick a different Atreyu song.
5. Andrew W.K.'s Party Hard: I doubt everyone knows this song by name alone, but this song's refrain is unmistakable and the song is yet another Madden Football hit. Party Hard is enough to make the Amish want to party. And Andrew W.K. is serious about partying. Just look at the cover art for I Get Wet.
Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org
4. Avenged Sevenfold's Bat Country: From Sounding the Seventh Trumpet to Nightmare, it's almost impossible to pinpoint Avenged Sevenfold's best "anthem." Inevitably, most will agree their best anthem is Bat Country. The song, written about Las Vegas, is best known for its dueling guitar solo, which spans 58 seconds. November Rain anyone? Guitarist Synyster Gates even does a Youtube demo.
3. Evanescence's Bring Me to Life: Singer Amy Lee managed to beat out all but two artists on this list: Not bad for a girl singing hard rock. This song is driving, heavy and emotional, like Adele in an Aston Martin. If I'm not mistaken, I believe this was also one of the first songs to feature a rapper in a non-rap song, a precedent preceded by Linkin Park. Not only does the guy rap, he sings and he growls. Point for Gryffindor.
2. System of a Down's Chop Suey! Chop Suey! is closing in on 150 million YouTube views on the official video alone. It's featured on Rock Band and it still receives heavy rotation on hard rock stations, despite being twelve years old.
1. Three Days Grace's Riot: My number one may come as a bit of a surprise, considering this song isn't even on loudwire's list. You have to see this song played live. It incites such a reaction, some venues used to ask Adam and Three Days Grace not to play it. I've never seen a crowd mosh harder to a non-metal song then they did to Riot at Uproar two years ago. Check it out.
Deciding on only ten (technically eleven) great songs was a tall task. My sister made a case for a few other songs as well, so I also compiled an honorary mention list:
Nine Inch Nails' The Hand that Feeds
Papa Roach's Last Resort/Lifeline
Disturbed's Ten Thousand Fists
Hollywood Undead's Undead
Rise Against's Prayer of the Refugee
Avenged Sevenfold's Almost Easy
Breaking Benjamin's Breath/just about anything else
"$25 million gone. Lady Gaga had to cancel the rest of her 'Born This Way
Ball' tour, and that is how much money is expected to be lost. 22
22 shows were left and now Gaga gets to spend her days in surgery. She is
suffering from a hip injury called synovitis, which is s sever
inflammation of the joints.
It is a shame to see this 26-year old pop star suffer from this condition.
Then again, some of you may be happy to see her cancel her tour that has
been going on for almost a year now.
98 concerts were supposed to take place and with 22 left, her body told
her no. But you can't blame her, she was born that way."
Further commentary from Kramer: I'm delighted to hear this news. Now I don't have to take my girlfriend to see Lady Gaga.
Bullet (or Boolit if you're British) For My Valentine just released their fourth studio album, Temper Temper.
The metalcore group out of rural Wales stayed quiet after the release of their 2010 album Scream Aim Fire. They toured most of the states and Europe before retiring to the studio to work on their follow up album.
Scream Aim Fire had its bright spots. The head-banging title track Scream Aim Fire with an impressive breakdown. Ashes of the Innocent still "sends shivers down my spine." Waking the Demon can escalate anyone's heart rate. It also has its obligatory benign ballads like Hearts Burst into Fire and Forever and Always. All and all, it was a good album and tough act to follow.
Unfortunately, Temper Temper falls pretty flat. Gordan Ramsay would say "it's so bland." There's no originality in it.
I can't take the title track seriously. The refrain is "temper temper, time to explode." This looks like an attempt to capture the same teenage angst so aptly bottled in Waking the Demon. The thought of a thirty year old man losing his religion is not edgy. It's sad and immature. There's anger management for that.
Then you have Riot. The song isn't all that heavy and the chorus wails "riot! whoaaaaa." I wonder how long it took them to think up those lyrics. It's another sad attempt at a teenage anthem/radio hit.
All and all, it sounds like Bullet's out of ideas, so they're recycling the same stuff that used to work off of Scream Aim Fire. It sounds over done and vanilla now. What a shame.
What happened to songs like Hand of Blood and Hit the Floor? They should have tried to recapture that sound. This is what classic Bullet sounds like and what they need to go back to:
Shortly after his twenty-second birthday and my announced resignation from 3 Way Street, Chuck, my friend and former drummer, received a call to try out as local country artist Frank Vieira's drummer. A few days later, Chuck got some good news. He posted a status earlier today, saying:
I cannot begin to express how proud I am of Chuck and how hard I'm pulling for him. Chuck is an excellent young drummer who will continue to improve, especially now that he's surrounded by other talented, driven musicians.
Chuck's departure also can't bode well for 3 Way Street. The band lost its front man and second guitarist as well as its drummer within days of each other. Looks like it's back to the drawing boards for the Speranza brothers.
To be clear, I don't give a damn about the Grammys. At the same time, I hate the idea that everyone deserves a trophy. I also hate most of the artists/songs that won.
While I refused to watch this year's Grammys, I heard mumblings that the Black Keys did well. Another trophy? That must be a pretty hollow victory for the sue-happy group. The Black Keys took Pinnacle Entertainment, Pizza Hut and the Home Depot to court last year over almost-copyright infringement. How dare someone try to mimic a sound that's atrocious to begin with.
Even I was nominated for a Grammy for Best New Undergraduate Music Blog at a Satellite Campus in Western Pa. I'm honored.
A few more sub-par songs won a Grammys, but they aren't worth discussing. Yet again, I'm disappointed in the state of the music industry and the standard of music as a whole.
Why do bands break up? Let's take a look at some notable break-up/line-up changes in the last year:
- Breaking Benjamin fires their guitarist and bassist over making "unauthorized and unilateral decisions."
- Deuce leaves/gets kicked out of Hollywood Undead over a lot of nonsense. Things got ugly.
- Adam leaves Three Days Grace over some disagreements following an illness.
- Ryan reisgns from Funeral for a Friend to focus more on parenting.
- Jet splits.
- Swedish House Mafia breaks up, stating the desire to "do something different."
- INXS is finally calling it quits.
- Bon Iver is taking a break.
A few more bands not worth mentioning either kicked members out or called it quits.
What makes this relevant? Well, my band, 3 Way Street is undergoing a lineup change: I'm quitting. I don't want to put all of our business out there, but the reasons were mostly mine. We have different goals and agendas and I feel that I need to play with some new people.
Disclaimer: It's pronounced "meem." Not may-may. That's mandarin for little sister. There's a big difference.
Photo courtesy of chzbgr.com
You don't say! Despite being a self-proclaimed metal head, I crusade against down tuning (the act of loosening strings to get a deeper sound and to play faster.) Metal guitarists have given up trying to distinguish themselves for skill, prowess, stage presence etc. and now distinguish themselves trying to play the most down tuned guitar with the most strings.
Down tuning passes its point of diminishing returns after you down tune past a whole step. After that, it gets silly. It's like those little competitions people had in middle school to see who could drink the most monster, or who could own the most studded belt: Everyone on the outside looking in finds this little competition inane and idiotic.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you OC. This forced meme is relevant to the Summer Celebration.
In four attempts at Norwin's Got Talent, Emmarie and I are 0 for 4. Emmarie isn't dwelling on her most recent unfruitful attempt. I, however, am pretty pissed about this one.
I'll keep the sour grapes brief: Her performance was excellent. It was air-tight. For the work I put into her backing track, the practice and the time she put into it, the performance was largely forgotten. The judges were unimpressed and the remaining audience members were indifferent.
This trend really frustrates people like me. We watch act after act take the stage, singing Adele and T-Swift, song after song. Only so many Adeles and Taylor Swifts can exist. For a society that celebrates differences, it fails to show it, musically.
The fact of the matter is people fear the music they're not spoonfed. We idolize talentless artistspeople idiots like Nikki Minaj, Kanye West, Lil Kim etc. because that's what we're expected to like.
Musicianship requires a unique common sense and I'm sure Colin would agree with me. Telling a fellow musician he "gets it" is the highest compliment I could pay him.
To "get it" means possessing the requisite amount of musical sense to adjust and improvise within a song. It also refers to how quickly a musician can learn and perform a song correctly. A guitarist who "gets it" can predict the next chord or even make up a solo on the spot. A drummer who "gets it" can adjust his speed to match tempo changes and fill the spaces between verses and choruses with fills and blasts. A bass player who "gets it"......is still a bassist.
I used to pay this compliment to Chuck, our drummer. His changes in dynamics and tempo, his fills and transitions and his adjustments used to confound me before I came to expect such a high level from him. Having performed with other, less gifted percussionists in the past, I felt Chuck was the only one who "got it."
This evening, my charismatic friend trotted down the road to my house, brand new bass in hand and asked to "jam" with me. I sat him down, gave him instructions and started playing. Much to my surprise, he was able to keep with me for the most part. It was clicking. He got it. He has a bright future ahead of him if he sticks with the instrument. Unfortunately, the talent ceiling for bass is pathetically low.
Last Saturday was a huge success for Chris, Ziggy and me. Chris has no voice, we all made a few bucks and Ziggy got his "number one fan's" number. We played close to thirty songs to mostly positive reviews. Due to the success we had, I reached out to a band fronted by a fellow UPG student, NeVeRBeTTeR. Their frontman, Chad and I will collaborate for a three hour set at Hookah Connection near the end of March. We should have a date by the end of the week.
We're hoping this collaboration will be a much-needed stepping stone into concert season for both 3 Way Street and Never Better. If all goes as planned, we'll be considered "associated acts" and have more success in booking shows better venues. If we don't start early, we might be stuck just playing a handful of grad parties and a couple festivals again.
The Halftime Show is almost like the State of the Union. In the 80's, we had tributes to Motown and Brill Building. Now what? Our standard of music has plummeted dramatically if the most watched performance all year will be by Beyonce. Please, Superbowl Halftime Planning Commission: Get your collective heads out of your asses and put a decent act onstage.
And no Patrick, The Rollings Stones are not a decent act. Neither is Aerosmith.
Metal polarizes people. While I view this macro-genre as an acquired taste, others see it as ear-grating noise.
So, what don't people like about metal?
The vocals: Detractors of heavy metal music start their bashing with the vocals/screams/growls. While I won't even attempt to advocate for the abrasive singing and guttural groans, the brutality of the vocals is integral to the overall sound of the music. It's specialization, as with country. Surprisingly, metal singing requires dynamic, rangy voices to sand out the low-end growls and hit the soaring high notes.
The message: Metal is often wrongly associated with Satanism. While a sub-genre or two associate with Satanic messages, the vast majority do not. More often, metal lyricists write about about war and politics, partying, sex, violence and drugs. The rough, edgy purpose corresponds with the brutal sound and the message doesn't differ greatly from rap and hip hop.
The sound: The most unfairly criticized aspect of metal is the instrumentation. Some say there's too much bass or too much crash. Keener critics point out that the guitars are tuned too low, to the point of being unrecognizable. Contrarily, metal musicians are among the finest in the business. The genre attracts the most technical guitarists and bassists and the fasted drummers. Additionally, unlike pop, the sounds of metal are genuine and produced with true instruments played by living, breathing musicians.
The image: Women moreso than men find issues with a band's aesthetic image. The first thing my girlfriend noticed about Lamb of God was that all the members were ugly. Their hair was too long and looked dirty. They looked either fat or emaciated. Their t-shirts were tattered and grungy. While the aforementioned stereotypes occasionally hold true, a bands physical attractiveness has no musical relevance. True appreciators of music discount artists' outward appearances unless the artist is Taylor Swift whom I admire purely on an aesthetic level.
Taking my rebuttals of the common misconceptions into account, why do you still hate metal?
