Howdy everyone! Today, I’m going to let my readers into my life a bit by talking about some of my favorite bands. Three in particular.
1. 1. Cradle Of Filth
Cradle Of Filth (COF) has easily been my longest favorite band. I first got into them when I was about 13 years old with their album Damnation And A Day: From Genesis To Nemesis. COF introduced me to black metal (back when they qualified as black metal). From them I discovered Dimmu Borgir (another all time favorite), Dark Funeral, Old Man’s Child, Venom, Immortal, and more. After Damnation And A Day I found Midian, though I wasn’t a fan of the album when I first heard it, now it ranks in my top ten favorite albums of all time.
Something about their music was so incredibly genius to me. The way they incorporate such a strong sense of classical music with black metal was the most creative music I had ever heard. Needless to say I was totally obsessed. Yes, they released Thornography, which was total shit, but hey, most great musicians have that one album that is simply trash. I didn’t think Nymphetamine was horrible but I wasn’t crazy about it either. Darkly Darkly Venus Aversa and Hammer Of The Witches where incredible albums that again showcased their creativity in music. In September they will released their 12th studio album, Cryptoriana: The Seductiveness Of Decay, and I couldn’t be more excited.
*I based the letter of my chest tattoo off of Cradle Of Filth's logo. *Cradle Of Filth was also one of the bands I saw at my first concert when I was 14. The line up was Veins Of Jenna, CKY, GWAR, and Cradle Of Filth.
2. 2. Lamb Of God
Lamb Of God (LOG) holds a very special place in my heart. I proudly wear a tattoo in reference to their song Ruin from their album As The Palaces Burn. Arguably one of the best bands I have ever seen live, LOG has earned their spot among the metal greats, being considered the top among new wave metal acts (acts that came after Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax). Being a drummer myself, Chris Adler became an obsession when I started to learn how to play, and he remains my favorite drummer to this day. It’s not easy to be that that technical and work the rhythm section well into melodic metal, such as LOG.
When Killadelphia (the DVD) came out I was amazed at having the opportunity to learn that much about the guys who I look up to. Seeing the good, the bad, and the ugly that they showed was amazing for me. Prior to this, all we saw was them (other bands) partying and playing but Killadelphia took that too a new level by showing the stress of being on tour, how they interact with their fans, and more. Following Killadelphia, years later, they released their second DVD, As The Palaces Burn, which was originally intended to follow international fans and how they interact with the band. This was amazing to see that some of these fans were traveling 24 hours just to catch LOG play for an hour or so. I know for me, I immediately felt like a jackass because I would sometimes bitch about having to drive four hours to go to a concert. When Randy Blythe was arrested in the Czech Republic, the DVD took a turn and covered his entire situation. I definitely grew a newfound respect for him after seeing how he handled that situation and went back to the Czech Republic to go on trial, knowing he could face up to 20 years in prison.
3. 3. Hatebreed
Hatebreed was one of those bands I always heard of but never really gave them a chance until years later. Once I did, I definitely had a HOLY SHIT moment and fell in love with their music. Now, anyone who listens to Hatebreed, musician or not, is fully aware that they are NOT a technical band (I don’t like overly technical metal, progressive metal, anyway but that’s not the point). They are very catchy and even I will admit, a lot of the introductions to their songs sound a lot alike. Regardless, their message and breakdowns are what does it for me.
Hatebreed is a perfect example of how wrong people are when they say all metal is negative. I cannot think of a single metal act that has more uplifting message or inspiring music as Hatebreed does. If I had to choose, I think I would say This Is Now is my favorite song from them.
This is now (NOW!)
I can’t change tomorrow, if I can’t change today
This is now (NOW!)
If I control myself, I control my destiny
That’s the chorus from This Is Now and is a good example of the message of their music. Own your life, being in control of your actions, take responsibility for yourself, and move on. All life lessons I recognize being worthy to live by.
Now, there are MANY acts that could have easily made this list (Dimmu Borgir, Slipknot, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, etc) but these three came to mind. As new bands are introduced to the market I find new acts to fall in love with (Wage War, Whitechapel, who isn’t new but I recently gave them a chance and HOLY SHIT, Avatar, etc). Rock is NOT dead. Metal is NOT dead. And this obsession with music will continue throughout the rest of my life.