We’re nearing the end friends. Today, here are my top 10 favorite singers & bands to listen to. I think you’ll find this to be a.....interesting selection.
10) AC/DC (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
Guys, I have a confession. For the longest time, I didn’t like this band. Both of my parents would play the hell out of their songs when they showed up on the radio, and when they would put in Back in Black, they would crank up the volume enough to the point where you’d swear to god that your ear drums would shatter. There were a couple songs that I enjoyed regardless, but it wasn’t until 2008 when my parents bought the anticipated Black Ice album back in 2008, and my attitude towards the band began to soften a bit.
I’m still not a big fan of AC/DC, but I can say that when they show up on the radio, I’m less likely to pitch a fit. As for their newest album, I can safely say that I like a good chunk of the songs in questions. There’s an energy within them that I can’t describe, and it sounds like they have lots of fun when they play. It also doesn’t help the fact that there’s a school boy in the band, and he plays the guitar quite well.
9) Faith No More (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
If I could describe Faith No More, I would describe them as a modern-day Led Zeppelin.
All throughout the band’s career (Past & present), they always experimented with various genres and instruments, and have created some memorable songs. True, many of their songs sound similar when put next to each other, but there’s enough of a difference between them for some uniqueness to appear. From the bombastic guitarwork of Epic, to the rhythmic blues-like vibes of Midlife Crisis, to the solemn, almost gothic like tone of Ashes to Ashes, Faith No More created some memorable songs that are just perfect for about any kind of situation.
8) Weird Al Yankovic (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
Are you guys surprised by this choice?
I’m 26 years old, but somehow, Weird Al still makes me laugh and smile. From his antics during his live concerts, to the oddball choices for covers & music videos, or just his general mood & attitude during interviews, Weird Al is a musician that has something for just about anyone. His classic songs like Eat It & I’m Fat still have some oomph to them, while newer tunes like Perform this Way bring in new fans who might be interested in his work, and old fans who want to come back into the fold.
So, pop culture, you may want to tread lightly. Otherwise, a curly-haired man with an accordion might just take the chance, and jump on you!
7) Paradise Lost (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
Gothic Metal is a genre that requires a band to walk a thin rope. If you’re too heavy, or you’re too dark, you’ll fail off the rope. It’s because of this of these tight restrictions that make the genre a unique, yet difficult one to use when making music. Most bands who claim to do Gothic Metal are either unpopular, or don’t get the credit they deserve. Paradise Lost somehow manages to be neither, despite a short period in the mid/late 90s.
If you remember my review of Draconian Times (Click “***” to read), I said that Paradise Lost deserve the title of Gothic Metal Master. Their music has always been on the dark side, yet their music is never too dark (With some exceptions). They’re heavy, but they don’t get too heavy so you don’t feel the emotions that the song provides. Despite not being as popular in the United States when compared to the band below, Paradise Lost still has an army of fans in the country, who prefer the band’s more serious take on Gothic Metal. Creating a legacy since the late 80s, Paradise Lost is a band that should be at least observed by metal fans in the U.S., simply due to the band’s history.
6) Type-O Negative (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
If Paradise Lost takes on the more serious side of Gothic Metal, then our number 6 spot takes on the serious side mixed with occasional humor form of Gothic Metal.
Due to the tragic death of lead singer Pete Steele in April of 2010, Type-O Negative is no longer together, but the music they left behind have formed a powerful legacy. Despite their legacy, Type-O Negative was a band that didn’t quite get the credit they deserved, except from fans and media outlets that were willing to give them a chance. It’s tragic in all honesty, because the music the band created is very well done. From Pete Steele’s booming & somewhat erotic voice, to Kenny Hickey’s work on the guitar, Type-O Negative is a band that has more that earned the respect it deserves.
5) Ozzy Osbourne (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
Like AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne was someone that I didn’t like for a long time, but ironically enough, I grew to like Ozzy sooner than AC/DC. It was my 15th birthday, and I had gotten the Ozzman Cometh compilation from my parents. I did have access to a song or two prior to this CD, but it wasn’t until I got the CD that I opened myself to, and I quote, “Rock and Roll’s bigger brother.”
What made the CD so great was that it contained a wide range of his carrer. From his earliest days in Black Sabbath, to his solo career in the 80s, and his time up to the mid 90s, I got an interesting range of songs. Slow, fast, light, and dark: there wasn’t anything on the CD that I didn’t like. Since then, I’ve bought his Black Rain album in 2007, and got his Scream album in 2010 as a Christmas gift. It will be a tragic day when the Prince of Darkness dies, and I’ll probably be weeping the entire time.
4) Devin Townsend (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
It’s really hard to classify what style of music Devin Townsend does, since he bounces all over the spectrum. Thrash metal, grindcore, progressive rock, and ambient are just a couple of the styles he’s done since the 90s. After becoming sober in 2009, his mental state has become far more clear than it’s ever been, yet he still manages to tap into that bipolar mind of his when he needs some warped inspiration.
I guess that’s why I like him. My mind is a lot like his: it bounces all over the place, is very hyperactive & imaginative, and is possibly a little deranged. There’s times where his songs are wacky, like Lucky Animals, but there are times where his music is highly serene, as in Watch You. In this circumstance, the rainbows of music in Devin Townsend’s mind is the reason why I’m attracted to his work in the first place.
3) Rammstein (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
Funny story about the number 3 spot. I didn’t even know about these guys, until I accidentally came across their song Ich Will over my walkman radio. After my dad downloaded the song, I tracked down a copy of Mutter. I was immediately hooked, and I haven’t looked back since.
Interestingly enough, I preferred the instrumentation when I first listened to Rammstein. As time went by, I became more interested in the German language, and as of now, I have a healthy interest in both. If I had one complaint about the band, it’s that all of the albums (With perhaps the exception Herzelied. Yet again, I’ll review this when the time is right) have a sameness to them. Many of the individual songs do sound different, but when an albumful of them are compared to one another, they just feel too similar. A good band regardless.
2) Eisbrecher (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”) **
Now, on a instrumental level, Eisbrecher & Rammstein are equal (They perform the same genre, after all). On a vocal level, Eisbrecher & Rammstein are equal (Although the lead singer of Eisbrecher seems to have a slightly expanded vocal range, but that’s just me). With that being said, you’re probably wondering why Eisbrecher has taken the number 2 spot on this list? Well, it's because of a couple of reasons actually!
For starters, Eisbrecher has been around nowhere near as long as Rammstein (Eisbrecher first formed in 2003, while Rammstein first appeared in 1993 or 1994), and they feel newer because of being a more recent band. Secondly, Eisbrecher has been putting out music more consistently than Rammstein (They've put out an Album on 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012, while Rammstein's releases have been all over the 90s & last decade), thus making them predictable in terms of releases. Third, Eisbrecher isn't quite as popular in the states as Rammstein (Eisbrecher on numerous occasions has states they would like to come to the United States, and host some concerts to get some American fans). Finally, the reasons that Eisbrecher is number 2 on this list and Rammstein isn't is because of their attitude towards the industry, and perhaps their attitude towards the world. Eisbrecher shows no signs of slowing down, and they look at things with a more youthful vigor. Rammstein also doesn't necessarily show signs of slowing down, but they have a more bitter/cynical view on the music industry, and they don't necessarily have nice views towards the United States.
1) Ministry (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
Although their latest album has left fans divided, Ministry has managed to stand the test of time. Starting in the early 80s as a pop band, they quickly moved over to metal, and from the rest of the 80s to now, they’ve become icons in the Industrial Metal scene. Although the singing and instrumentation are good (I especially like Al Jorgenson’s voice, which has a surprising range to it), they aren’t the reason why they are my number one band.
Let’s take a personal trip through time. It’s August 27th, 2006, a day before my Fall 2006 semester at college. I wake up and come down stairs as usual, and I see my day hastily putting some clothes in a travel bag. When I ask why, I was told that my uncle (Which I saw a week prior at a family reunion) had died in a plane crash. I was in a state of shock. I couldn’t even cry because I was so shocked by what I was told. I didn’t even go through the day normal, but sometimes fate moves you in the weirdest of directions.
I think a couple weeks prior to his death, I was surfing through the TV, when I came across MTV (When they still kinda sorta played videos). On the screen was Ministry’s latest music video, Lies Lies Lies. I liked it, but I didn’t think much of it. About a week or two after, I was with my girlfriend at the time, and I managed to find a copy of the album the song came from. When my uncle died, I listened to the whole album, and somehow I was healed.....for the most part. Due to that act, Ministry will be my number 1 band for all time.
See you all later this week. Until then, stay Otaku!
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(Update on 6/13/2013 at 11:57 A.M. Eastern Standard Time)
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