Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Minerva by Deftones

Today's Metal Track is Minerva by Deftones off of their 2003 self-titled album. Minerva is the Roman goddess of music, arts, poetry, medicine, and wisdom. Chino has stated that he is captivated by the beauty of women. This song is a tribute to wise and eloquent women sharing qualities with Minerva.

I get all, numb
When she sings it's over
Such a strange numb
And it brings my knees to the earth

And God bless you all
For the song you saved us

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Bonded by Blood by Exodus

Today's Metal Track is Bonded by Blood by Exodus. I know that can be a little confusing so let me say it this way: This is a song by Exodus titled Bonded by Blood. This is the title track off of their 1985 debut album.

This sounds very similar to Metallica's 1983 Kill Em' All album. They were both pioneers in the 80's Bay Area Thrash scene. The album was originally scheduled to be released in 1984 but due to artwork issues, it was delayed until the following year.

Scott's Instrumental Metal Track of the Day - For the Love of God by Steve Vai

For the love of God can we get some Steve Vai on here? Wait, I mean today's Instrumental Metal Track is For the Love of God by Steve Vai. This is off of his 1990 album Passion and Warfare.

This song oozes with emotion and feeling (All These Feels) and the accompanying music video is pretty powerful in its portrayal of various 'not so good' moments in history. Vai recorded this track on the fourth day of a ten day fast. He said "I do try to push myself into relatively altered states of consciousness. Because in those states you can come up with things that are unique even for yourself."



Also, check out this longer live version he recorded with an orchestra.

Easy Like Sunday Morning Track - Don't Dream It's Over by Crowded House

Today's Easy Like Sunday Morning Track is Don't Dream It's Over by Crowded House. This is off of the Australian band's 1986 self-titled debut album.

Weekend Wildcard - Don't You Want Me by The Human League

Today's Weekend Wildcard is Don't You Want Me by The Human League. This is off of their 1981 album Dare. This was their biggest hit and was the Christmas number one in the UK which is the name given to the single that is in the number 1 spot during the week of Christmas.

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - White Cluster by Opeth

Today's Metal Track is White Cluster by Opeth. This is the closing track off of their 1999 album Still Life. This is a very underrated song. I hadn't listened to it much before I saw them play it live last year at Lincoln Theater.

The solo at the 6:23 mark will melt your face off!!! If you do nothing else, at least listen to that part.

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Carol of the Bells by Dan Cummins and Adam Satterwhite

Merry Christmas! Today's Metal Track is Carol of the Bells as performed by my friends Dan Cummins and Adam Satterwhite. This is off of their EP Feliz NaviDan they released a couple of years ago.

If TSO ever needs new members, I know who is going to top their list of candidates!

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - This is Absolution by Killswitch Engage

Today's Metal Track is This is Absolution by Killswitch Engage. This is off of their 2006 album As Daylight Dies. This song is a great mix of heavy riffs and vocals mixed with melodies and clean vocals.

We will not die this way (This is absolution)
Death claims us no more (No more)
Do not grief, end the suffering
We will live, live eternal

Anchor yourself to the foundation of everything you love
Believe you have just begun to live

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Blindfolds Aside by Protest the Hero

Today's Metal Track is Blindfolds Aside by Protest the Hero. This is off of their 2005 debut concept album Kezia. The album revolves around the execution of a woman named Kezia. The story is told from the point of view of three characters in the story; Kezia, a priest, and the prison guard who is the executioner. Each character has three songs on the album.

This song is the third song from the prison guard's point of view. He is struggling with going through with the execution because he feels that it is morally wrong but at the same time it is his job and is what puts food on the table for his family. In the end, those obligations win out and he goes through with it.

Some great lyrics overall but these are my favorite:
"A sin I didn't care for, but a sin that paid my debts
A sin that fed my children and burned my smiles and cigarettes"

Scott's Instrumental Metal Track of the Day - O'er Hell and Hide by Baroness

Today's Instrumental Metal Track is O'er Hell and Hide by Baroness. It's not technically an instrumental but it feels like one since there are only spoken words. "Deal with it". This is off of their 2009 album the Blue Record. The disco style drums in this song are pretty interesting.

Easy Like Sunday Morning Track - Is This Love by Whitesnake

Today's Easy Like Sunday Morning Track is Is This Love by Whitesnake. This is off of the band's 1987 self-titled album which was their most successful album. The music video features Tawny Kitaen (She's OK) who was David Coverdale's girlfriend at the time. The two later married but only lasted 2 years. She was also in the band's Here I Go Again video which is what she is probably most famous for. She was also Tom's Hanks' fiance in the 1984 movie Bachelor Party.

Weekend Wildcard - Zombie by The Cranberries

This Weekend's Wildcard is Zombie by The Cranberries. This classic is off of their 1994 album No Need to Argue. It was written during the Cranberries' English Tour in 1993, in memory of two boys, Jonathan Ball and Tim Parry, who were killed in a 1993 IRA bombing in Warrington. The bombings were the IRS's way to put pressure on the British Government to withdraw from Northern Ireland.

The line "It's the same old thing since 1916" is a reference to the Easter Rising of 1916 which ended British rule in Ireland and established an independent Ireland Republic.

Check out the number of YouTube views. Over 187 Million!

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - South of Heaven by Slayer

What better way to get your weekend kicked off that a little Slayer! Today's Metal Track is the title track off of their 1998 album South of Heaven. This was the follow up album to their famous 1986 album Reign in Blood. The band deliberately slowed the pace down to offset the speed of that album. The intro to this song is super wicked!

One might think this song is about Hell but it is actually about the demoralization of society on Earth which is still "South of Heaven."

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Terminus (Where Death is Most Alive) by Dark Tranquility

Today's Metal Track is Terminus (Where Death is Most Alive) by Dark Tranquility. This is off of the Swedish band's 2007 album Fiction. The creators of The Walking Dead should have worked this song into the Terminus episodes. The lyrics fit:

This is a ghost town
Alive with the echoes of failures fled
Lit up by shining faces,
That parade these streets
What used to be
Of humility is gone
You walk the mounds
Of skull and bones
Where living is denied
I see more movement in decomposition
Than in those hollow eyes

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Dark Matter Gods by Agalloch

Today's Metal Track is Dark Matter Gods by Agalloch. This is off of their most recent album, The Serpent & the Sphere, which was released earlier this year. I think this might be their best album to date and that's saying a lot. This song is a great example of the heavy, cosmic sound that is common on this album and with Agalloch as a whole.

Here is a great review of the album: http://www.metalinjection.net/reviews/album-review-agalloch-the-serpent-and-the-sphere

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - The Mason by Wovenwar

Today's Metal Track is The Mason by Wovenwar. This is off the band's self-titled debut album which was released this past August. Most of the members of the band are former members of As I Lay Dying. That band is on indefinite hiatus after the lead singer, Tim Lambesis, was arrested and charged with soliciting the murder of his estranged wife. He has since plead guilty.

Wovenwar is a little more accessible than As I Lay Dying mainly due to the clean vocals. The band is currently on tour with Periphery and will be coming to Cat's Cradle on January 10th if you want to check them out.

Scott's Instrumental Metal Track of the Day - War March by Andy James

Today's Instrumental Metal Track is War March by Andy James. This is the closing track off of his 2011 self-titled album. This play-through is full of finger-tapping goodness. Aside form his solo albums, Andy releases a lot of instructional videos, books, and CDs through "Lick Library".

Easy Like Sunday Morning Track - Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton

Today's Easy Like Sunday Morning Track is Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton. This song was written for the 1991 film Rush. The song won three Grammy awards for Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Male Pop Vocal Performance in 1993.

Ok, now for the Debbie Downer part. This song was written about Clapton's 4 year old son who died in 1991. He fell from the 53rd floor of a New York apartment that was owned by his mother's friend. Clapton stated, "I almost subconsciously used music for myself as a healing agent, and lo and behold, it worked... I have got a great deal of happiness and a great deal of healing from music". I don't know if I could ever get over something like that but I'm glad he was able to.

Weekend Wildcard - Killer Queen by Queen

This Weekend's Wildcard is Killer Queen by Queen. This is off of their 1974 album Sheer Heart Attack. This was Queen's first breakthrough hit that launched them into the mainstream.

Freddy wrote the lyrics to this track before the melody whereas he would normally do the opposite. The song was first recorded without guitarist Brian May who was in the hospital recovering from a stomach ulcer. The band left gaps in the recordings where May eventually filled in with guitar tracks. I've always loved this song because it is fun, unique, and well composed. 

RIP Freddy!

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Grind by Alice in Chains

Today's Metal Track is Grind by Alice in Chains. This is off of their self-titled 1995 album which is commonly referred to as the "Three-legged Dog Album" because it features Sunshine the Dog on the cover. Sunshine the Dog also makes and appearance in this video. The CD packaging came in three different color schemes. One with a transparent purple jewel case with a translucent yellow-green spine, one with the color scheme reversed and a monochrome version. I have the yellow-green case with the purple spine.

During the time before this album was released there were many rumors floating around such as "Layne was dead", "Jerry was dead", "the band had broken up", and "Layne had lost fingers due to his drug use." The band addresses those rumors in the opening verse:

In the darkest hole, you'd be well advised
Not to plan my funeral 'fore the body dies, yeah
Come the morning light, it's a see through show
What you may have heard and what you think you know, yeah

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Snakes of Jehovah by Killer Be Killed

Today's Metal Track is Snakes of Jehovah by Killer Be Killed off of their debut self-titled album released earlier this year. This supergroup is made up of Troy Sanders (Mastodon), Max Cavalera (Soulfly), Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan), and Dave Elitch (The Mars Volta). This song has a really cool sound to it and it's pretty cool to see 3 of the 4 members providing vocals.

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - BYOB by System of a Down

Why do they always send the poor?!!

Today's Metal Track is BYOB by System of a Down. This was the first single released off of their 2005 album Mezmerize. This song is full of erratic vocals and tempo changes mixed in with extremely catchy riffs and beats. This track was the band's Top 40 single making it up to 27 and remains their highest selling single to date.

In this instance, BYOB stands for Bring Your Own Bombs instead of Bring Your Own Booze. It is a protest against the Iraq war which, in the song, is portrayed as party for the U.S. where everyone "brings their own bombs"

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Omerta by Lamb of God

Today's Metal Track is Omerta by Lamb of God. This brutal track is off of their 2004 album Ashes of the Wake. Omerta is an expression related to the "code of silence" that originated in Italy by the Sicilian Mafia. It is an extreme form of loyalty and solidarity in the face of authority.

One of its absolute tenets is that it is deeply demeaning and shameful to betray even one's deadliest enemy to the authorities. For this reason, many Mafia-related crimes go unsolved for decades. Sounds similar to the "No Snitching" code that is popular in some American communities.

Scott's Bonus Metal Track of the Day - Floods by Pantera

In honor of Dimebag Darrell, today we will have a bonus Metal Track! Ten years ago today Dimebag was taken from us after a deranged fan shot him while he was playing on stage. Dime is widely considered to be one of the greatest heavy metal guitarist of all time. On top of that, he was one of the nicest guys in the business. He was respected and loved by everyone that ever met him.

This song is off of Pantera's 1996 album The Great Southern Trendkill. It is a power ballad that contains one of the best solos I've ever heard (starts at 3:50). It is extremely soulful and powerful and gives me chills when listen to it. Dime originally wrote the solo back in the 80s when he was 22 years old.

RIP Dime! Although you are gone, your music will always inspire us and make us bang our heads for generations to come!



Check out this video of musicians remembering Dimebag

Scott's Instrumental Metal Track of the Day - Fuzz Universe by Paul Gilbert

Today's Instrumental Metal Track is Fuzz Universe by Paul Gilbert. This is the title and opening track off of his 2010 album Fuzz Universe. Paul was the co-founder of the band Mr. Big and was also in the band Racer X. Outside of those two bands, Paul has released numerous solo albums from 1998 through the present.

Easy Like Sunday Morning Track - I Wish It Would Rain Down

In keeping with the Genesis theme for the weekend, today's Easy Like Sunday Morning Track is I Wish It Would Rain Down by Phil Collins. This is off of his 1989 album ...But Seriously. As you can see from the video, Eric Clapton provides some solid guitar work for this track.

Phil joined Genesis in 1970 as the drummer and eventually became the band's lead singer in 1975 after a replacement could not be found for Peter Gabriel.

Weekend Wildcard - Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel

This Weekend's Wildcard is Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel. This is off of his 1986 album So. This is a great song but the music video is even better. It won 9 MTV Video Music Awards in 1987 and as of 2011 it was the most played music video in MTV's history.

Before beginning his solo career, Peter Gabriel was a founding member in the progressive rock band Genesis. He eventually left in 1975 after tension among the band members due to the added attention gained for Peter and his flamboyant stage persona.

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Daddy's Falling Angel by In This Moment

Today's Metal Track is Daddy's Falling Angel by In This Moment. This is off of their 2007 debut album Beautiful Tragedy. I saw them when they were touring for this album in 2007 at the House of Blues opening for Megadeth. Their success can only be attributed to their music. It is no way related to the attractiveness of the singer :)

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Tourniquet by Marilyn Manson

Today's Metal Track is Tourniquet by Marilyn Manson. This was his second major label single and was released in 1997. As with many Manson videos, this one is cool and creepy at the same time.

This song portrays the main character loathing in self-pity over a girl and the imagery is based off of a nightmare that Manson experience. At the beginning of the song you can hear vocals played in reverse that say "This is my lowest point of vulnerability." This girl would would make the main character feel like she loved him but she would only come to him when she was in need; using him like a tourniquet.

"Take your hatred out on me
make your victim my head
you never ever believed in me
I am your tourniquet"

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - God of Thunder by KISS

Today's Metal Track is God of Thunder by KISS. This is off of their extremely successful 1976 album Destroyer. I'm not a huge KISS fan but I've always liked this song. It's one of the heavier songs released by the band and it's iconic live performance is very metal including Gene Simmons performing a bass solo while blood spews from his mouth before flying to the top of the stadium. That's why I chose to post the live video. Good stuff!

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Eyes of a Stranger by Queensryche

Today's Metal Track is Eyes of a Stranger by Queensryche. This is the closing track on their 1988 masterpiece Operation:Mindcrime (I know I've mentioned this a few times already but whatever, it's true)

This song wraps up the concept album with the main character, Nikki, reflecting on his past actions as an assassin of political leaders for a revolutionary group led by Dr. X. He is looking at himself in the mirror and he doesn't even recognize the person he has become.

The vocals during the chorus are top notch
"And I raise my head and stare
Into the eyes of a stranger
I've always known that the mirror never lies"



Also, the guy who portrays Dr. X in the video totally looks like Dr. Krieger on Archer:

Scott's Instrumental Track of the Day - Five to Three by Guthrie Govan

Today's Instrumental Monday Track is Five to Three by Guthrie Govan. This is one of three tracks he performed for Jam Track Central earlier this year. The tracks were released under a package title Guthrie Govan Signature Series and included extras such as extended video track, backing tracks, solo tracks, and the tabs for the songs.

"When we arranged for Guthrie to come back to JTC HQ to film a new set of tracks we decided it was time that we prised out his closest guarded secrets. In order to coax out these nuggets of pure genius and really see exactly how his mind works we simply had to challenge him with the most difficult jam tracks we could create."