Stop what you’re doing.

Turn the volume all the way up.

Van Halen “Unchained”

The feelings of an entire generation.

What do YOU want to do with your life?

Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It”

For sure, later day Def Leppard isn’t “metal” in any sense of the word. But their first 3 albums shaped and influenced a lot of hard rock (and metal) that came after. Of course, all of that changed with album #4 (and quite awesome for them, but after that point the band was no longer “dangerous”).

Forever shall I love the drum fill at 1:24 in “Photograph”. It only lasts a second, but it sounds awesome.

This was a nice find (and just before Halloween). Black Sabbath, with a live performance of “N.I.B.” from 1970

What better way to get back to metal than with the metal gods themselves, Judas Priest!

“Halls of Valhalla” from the “Battle Cry” DVD.

This is not metal – not even a little bit.

But Blackberry Smoke is one kick-ass rock-and-roll band. I love these guys.

Their new album “Like An Arrow” just came out a couple days ago, and here’s the first cut: “Waiting for the Thunder”

Next week, back to metal.

Slayer played Austin last night.

“Repentless”

Thy Art is Murder really isn’t my thing, but the song (and video) is pretty brutal.

Another band I’ve only recently started exploring – Whitechapel, with “Elitist Ones”

Honestly, I hadn’t heard of Soilwork until news of their (now former) drummer Dirk Verbeuren joining up with Megadeth.

So I gave them a spin.

“These Absent Eyes”