I like giving “Sunday Metal” a theme, and so this theme is “Songs of My Youth”. I found heavy metal as a teenager and it’s always been a big part of my life. I wanted to highlight some songs that stand out from those youthful days.

Give me all the flack you want, but Poison was an enjoyable part of my youth (and yes, they are “heavy metal” since “hair metal” is enough of a subgenre — deal with it). Their songs embodied what we wanted: nothing but a good time; action; dirty talk; whatever. I mean, sex, drugs, rock-and-roll, right? Rock and roll all night, party every day with booze and hot women, etc.. Fuel for teenage dreams.

Then, Poison proved they could be deep. Well, deep for them. I do remember a bunch of us over at Bill’s house one afternoon just hanging out. The TV was on in the background, MTV playing (back when they played music videos), and then “Something To Believe In” came on. Someone called everyone over to watch, because well… all things considered, the band, the reasons, the context, everything… it was a little heavier, a little deeper, a little different. Somehow it was a significant thing in our teenage lives.

I like giving “Sunday Metal” a theme, and so this theme is “Songs of My Youth”. I found heavy metal as a teenager and it’s always been a big part of my life. I wanted to highlight some songs that stand out from those youthful days.

Like any music embraced by teenagers, parents are unlikely to understand it. I recall one day sitting in my bedroom and my Dad came in. I don’t recall his motivation, but the end result was me playing Exodus’ “Last Act of Defiance” for him to try to help him understand something… and him thinking I was out of my mind for listening to such drivel. 🙂

I like giving “Sunday Metal” a theme, and so this theme is “Songs of My Youth”. I found heavy metal as a teenager and it’s always been a big part of my life. I wanted to highlight some songs that stand out from those youthful days.

Without question, Bryan introducing me to Anthrax was a pivotal moment. It was the first “hard(er)” band, my intro to thrash. But of course, it wasn’t a thrash song, it was a rap song — “I’m the Man”

It provided the right transition for me. The humor opened the door, and I started exploring other Anthrax songs and albums. I liked what I heard, and my love of thrash was born.

I think Believer‘s “Sanity Obscure” is a good metal album. Thrashy, technical, and willing to experiment.

While the band has had their ups and downs (and it seems recently a member has been dealing with serious health issues, which has put the band in an understandable limbo for a while), they’re still marching on.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPdMSxbOzGs]

And besides… how can I not love a band where the drummer shares in my obscure last name? 😉

My first exposure to the band Living Sacrifice was their “Nonexistent” album. It was OK. I wasn’t into that style of vocals and while I thought the music was heavy I just couldn’t get past my dislike of the vocals.

Sometime last year I was scrolling through my iTunes library to find something to listen to and found the “Nonexistent” album and tried again. Out of curiosity I Googled the band to see if they were still around and sure enough they are!

In fact, they had a “new” album out, “Ghost Thief”.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc812DiScXU]

I really dig this. It’s thrashy, has a groove (I love the outro). Brutal. Just damn fine metal.

Where to begin with Black Sabbath?

Maybe “Hole in the Sky”? Bill Ward’s drumming is so laid back, it just makes the groove.

Maybe some Dio-era stuff, like “Heaven & Hell”?

Perhaps “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”?

For me, it’s “War Pigs”. Music yes, but lyrically even more so.

It’s not Motörhead, it’s Lemmy. And it’s Lemmy with Billy Gibbons and Dave Grohl. So this is a bit of a stretch for “Sunday Metal”, but whatever… it’s Lemmy, and it’s Christmastime. 🙂

“Run Run Rudolph”

Certainly one of my favorite “metal” Christmas songs renditions.

A song/tribute to his mother.

An unconventional favorite. Yeah there are a lot of songs by Type O that I like. But “Nettie” is such a great song, especially when you consider Peter’s tumultuous life and his mother’s undying support for him through it all.

You know, I think I like Ozzy more with Black Sabbath than his solo stuff. His solo stuff is good, but whenever I listen to it I think I give more consideration to his guitarists than him.

Case in point: “Mr. Crowley”

I was always a Randy fan (vs. Eddie Van Halen). And I think his classical influences show strongly on “Mr. Crowley”.

And one thing I always appreciated about Zakk was while he was still Zakk, still had his playing style, he honored Randy’s composition, playing the song as it should be.

I say this because, as I write this, I have fresh in my mind a cover band I heard at a small festival. They were actually pretty good, but then they played Ted Nugent’s “Strangehold” and butchered it. Solos aren’t just a time to wank off; sometimes they are, but sometimes the solo line is very much a composed piece that makes the song what it is and you just can’t deviate from it. “Strangehold” is one such song. “Mr Crowley” is another, especially on the outro, and while Zakk throws in his signature vibrato, it’s still Randy’s composition.

Another band with a lot of solid songs.

“Madness of an Architect” is one I love to crank to 11 because it’s just this sonic wall of noise.

But as cliché as it might be, “Snakes for the Divine” is awesome. The whole album, and the song.

And yes, I like listening to live High on Fire recordings, because there are mistakes. Real music, y’know?