Andy Boyle
You think that because I like Slayer, I should like Godsmack? The fuck outta here.
That’s why I like listening to my iPod. Whenever I get the chance to unplug someone else’s phone, I’ll plop it into the deep fryer and put my music on shuffle. I like being surprised by what comes up next, but knowing that whatever it is, I’ll dig it because I put it on there. It keeps things interesting. Every day is an adventure.
Like today, for example.
“Words of the Dying Man” by Alabama Thunderpussy was the first song that came on this morning. These guys were cool before Kyle Thomas joined the band, but he brought them to a whole new level when they released Open Fire in 2007. And I might ruffle a few feathers when I say this, but I don’t think Kyle has ever sounded better than he did on this record. I think his voice matured a bit when he recorded with Floodgate, but here he combines that maturity with the raw power from back in his Exhorder days. This song in particular is one of my favorites off of this album. Meaty guitar riffs, cowbell, and Kyle Thomas belting it out like he does so well.
Next up was Superjoint Ritual’s “The Destruction of a Person” from A Lethal Dose of American Hatred. What can I say about this? Not my favorite (or second favorite) of Phil Anselmo’s bands, but it’s still pretty good. It’s dirty, it’s dark, and it kind of makes me want to scrub myself clean after listening to him talk about his struggles with heroin. But it’s still Phil, so I love it.
I fucking love the new Testament album, so I was stoked when “Cold Embrace” came on next. These guys are amazing. Their sound is still so much of what people remember and loved them for back in the day. They’ve incorporated some new elements, which makes things fresh, but it’s still Testament. This song in particular reminds me of some of their older stuff. Peterson’s brutality blends so well with Alex Skolnick’s knack for melody, they ought to make comparisons to those two in commercials for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. And Chuck Billy sounds amazing, too. The guy could always sing, but it was never really all that clean. It’s kind of rough, and that’s what I love about his vocals on this song.
You should probably find out at some point that I like country music too. Not the popular shit they put out now, but whiskey drinkin’, cocaine snortin’ outlaw country. So when I heard the unplugged version of Black Label Society’s “Darkest Days,” I was hoping it was the version with John Rich singing on it. Sadly, it was not. That’s alright though, because this is still a great song. Zakk Wylde is so good at everything. When he’s not rocking and shredding, he’s pouring his heart out over his piano or acoustic guitar. And still shredding.
One of the band’s that has really been blowing my mind over the past several years is Mastodon. Every album they put out is a masterpiece. Especially last year’s The Hunter. “Spectrelight” is one of the many great songs off of that album. (They’re all great.) It shows them going back to their roots, while still expanding their boundaries. And having Scott Kelly from Neurosis sing on it gives it an even dirtier sound. Mastodon just keeps getting better and better, which is amazing, considering how good they were when they started out.
I can’t wait to see what tomorrow’s selection is like.
The post Every Day I’m Shufflin’, Shufflin’ appeared first on Gunshy Assassin.
