Easy Like Sunday Morning Track - Zebra by Beach House

Today's Easy Like Sunday Morning Track is Zebra by Beach House. This is the opening track off of their 2010 album Teen Dream. Not to be confused with Katy Perry's Teenage Dream. The narrator of this song is expressing her feelings about the object of her affection. A close friend or a loved one that is unique and more advanced than the rest of the group ("Any way you run, you run before us
Black and white horse arching among us"). Basically saying we are all horses while you are a zebra. Unique and not domesticated.

The narrator believes that the protagonist is trying to disguise himself as a horse to fit in with everyone else but she knows his really a zebra (Don't I know you better than the rest
All deception, all deception from you). At least that's is the best interpretation that I have come across. What do you think?

Weekend Wildcard - Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode

This Weekend's Wildcard is Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode. This is the lead single off of their 1990 album Violator. This song has been covered by numerous artist including Marylin Manson, Sammy Haggar, and Johnny Cash. It has also been featured in countless movies, tv shows, and video games (Most recently NBA 2K15).

The song was inspired by the book Elvis and Me by Pricilla Presley. Martin Gore stated "It's a song about being a Jesus for somebody else, someone to give you hope and care. It's about how Elvis Presley was her man and her mentor and how often that happens in love relationships; how everybody's heart is like a god in some way, and that's not a very balanced view of someone, is it?"

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Destroyer of Senses by Shadows Fall

Today's Metal Track is Destroyer of Senses by Shadows Fall. This is off of their 2002 album The Art of Balance. If it wasn't obvious, this song is about alcohol.

I keep on falling off of this straight and narrow line
The calm embrace of a sedated mind

Giver of life
Destroyer of senses
I invoke!
The sweet taste of self destruction

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Heaven Nor Hell by Volbeat

Today's Metal Track is Heaven Nor Hell by Volbeat. This is off of the Danish band's 2010 album Beyond Hell/Above Heaven. Overall this song is a little poppy for my taste but the section from 2:13 - 3:00 and the closing section are so awesome that I let it pass.

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Man Behind the Curtain by Valient Thorr

Today's Metal Track is Man Behind the Curtain by Valient Thorr. This is off of their 2005 album Total Universe Man. This song was also featured on the video game Skate. The section starting at the 53 second mark reminds me of the riff in Metallica's Hit the Lights. Nice teamwork on the cymbals there too. Very fun video and gives you an idea of how much fun these guys are to see live.

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Addicted to Chaos by Megadeth

Today's Metal Track is Addicted to Chaos by Megadeth. This is off of their 1994 album Youthanasia. The album title is a portmanteau of the words youth and euthanasia. Mustaine has stated that the idea for the title stems from hearing about Jack Kevorkian, as well as the declining state of well-being of young people, specifically referring to issues like drugs, crime and violence, and a lack of parenting.

I've always enjoyed this track. The main riff is so awesome and chill. 

In a dream I cannot see
Tangled abstract fallacy
Random turmoil builds in me
I'm addicted to chaos

Scott's Instrumental Metal Track of the Day - Hyper Doom by Marty Friedman

Today's Instrumental Metal Track is Hyper Doom by Marty Friedman. This is off of his most recent album Inferno which was released last year. Not much to say about this short track other than it rocks!

Easy Like Sunday Morning Track - It Ain't Over 'til It's Over by Lenny Kravitz

Today's Easy Like Sunday Morning Track is It Ain't Over 'til It's Over by Lenny Kravitz. This is off of his 1991 album Mama Said. The song is based on a quote from the great Yogi Berra (AKA a Yogism). The horns at the end are played by the Phenix Horns famous for their work with Earth, Wind & Fire, Phil Collins, and Genesis.

Weekend Wildcard - Big Band Baby by Stone Temple Pilots

This Weekend's Wildcard is Big Band Baby by Stone Temple Pilots. This is off of their 1996 album Tine Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop. The music video was intentionally filmed to look low budget as a tribute to the videos of the 70s. Unfortunately Scott Weiland is still struggling with his addictions and it wouldn't surprise me at all if he is found dead soon. It's sad and I hope it doesn't happen but he seems to be in bad shape.

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - The Looking Glass by Dream Theater

Today's Metal Track is The Looking Glass by Dream Theater. This is off of their self-titled album which was released in 2013. If this song reminds you of Rush, you are correct. This song is actually a tribute to the Canadian band.

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Sober by Tool

Today's Metal Track is Sober by Tool. This is off of their 1993 debut studio album Undertow. It is about a friend of the band whose artistic expression only comes out when he is under the influence. This was Tool's second ever music video and first to feature stop motion animation. Their first video was for the song Hush from their 1992 EP Opiate.

This song and video was groundbreaking when it came out and is probably still the most recognizable song by the band. This was the introduction of Tool to the world. I remember watching this video when it first aired. I was around 10 I guess. I didn't know what was going in the video but I knew I liked it.

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Yellow Teeth by Protest the Hero

Today's Metal Track is Yellow Teeth by Protest the Hero. This is off of the Canadian band's 2013 album Volition. This album features Chris Adler from Lamb of God on drums. He filled in after Moe Carlson left the band. If you are one of those people who loves metal but hate harsh vocals, this is for you.

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Ghosts Will Haunt My Bones by Machine Head

Today's Metal Track is Ghosts Will Haunt My Bones by Machine Head. This is off of their 2014 album Bloodstone & Diamonds.

When the night crashes down
See (No vision)
Can you believe? (Derision)
Will I fall? (Down so far)
Into the deep (It's so dark)

Ghosts will haunt my bones
So just leave me alone

Scott's Instrumental Metal Track of the Day - Threnody by Pelican

Today's Instrumental Metal Track is Threnody by Pelican. Don't worry, the music starts at about the 1 minute mark. This is off of the instrumental band's 2013 album Forever Becoming. A threnody is a song, hymn or poem of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person. I don't know if the band wrote this song about some one in particular or not. Maybe someone who knows more about them can fill us in.

Easy Like Sunday Morning Track - Yellow Ledbetter by Pearl Jam

Today's Easy Like Sunday Morning Track is Yellow Ledbetter by Pearl Jam. This was an outtake from their debut album Ten. It was first released as a B-side with their first single Jeremy in 1992. Hard to believe this didn't make the cut for the first album. It was later included on their Lost Dogs album which included a bunch of B-sides and rarities.

Although the lyrics are pretty indecipherable, Vedder has stated that the song was written about his friend Tim Ledbetter whose brother served in the Gulf War. Tim received a yellow letter in the mail informing him that his brother died in the war.

Weekend Wildcard - Every Day I have the Blues by B.B. King

In honor of the passing of the great B.B. King, this Weekend's Wildcard is Everyday I have the Blues. This is from his 1964 live performance at The Regal. This live album is heralded as one of the greatest blues albums of all time. This is an old song that has been performed and recorded numerous times with various styles dating back to 1935 when it was originally performed in the taverns of St. Louis by the Sparks brothers (Pinetop and Milton) and was recorded July 28, 1935 by Pinetop with Henry Townsend on guitar.

RIP B.B. King!

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - The Everlasting Gaze by The Smashing Pumkins

Today's Metal Track is The Everlasting Gaze by The Smashing Pumpkins. While not traditionally "metal", the Pumpkins have released their fair share of heavy tracks that qualify. This is the opening track off of their 200 album Machina/The Machines of God.

Corgan has said that this song "has a lot to do with spirituality and trying to find my place in the universe and sort of humbly accepting limitations and the things I've been graced with. It's more of a humanistic world view. I'm not writing anymore for the tortured teen—both me and whoever was listening. I'm writing with the idea that everybody's experiencing these things all the time, and even if they're not experiencing them personally, they're affected by them. You can live in the street and write about the garbage, or you can try to get up a little higher and look down and try to see the bigger picture."

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Determined by Mudvayne

Today's Metal Track is Determined by Mudvayne. This is the opening track off of their 2005 album Lost and Found which is the band's most successful album to date. This is probably the heaviest song on the album with elements of thrash and hardcore punk. It was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 2006 Grammys but lost to Slipknot's Before I Forget.

 Great workout song by the way!

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Blood and Thunder by Mastodon

I think that someone is trying to kill me!

Today's Metal Track is Blood and Thunder by Mastodon. This is the opening track off of their 2004 album Leviathan. This concept album is loosely based on the Herman Melville novel Moby-Dick. Hence the White Whale references.

This song is about Ahab's decent into madness and his obsession with Moby-Dick. The whale took his leg and now Ahab wants revenge. He was so obsessed that he made his peg leg out of a whale's jawbone.

This ivory leg is what propels me
Harpoons thrust in the sky
Aim directly for his crooked brow
And look him straight in the eye!

White Whale!
Holy Grail!

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - The Outlaw Torn by Metallica

Today's Metal Track is The Outlaw Torn by Metallica. This is the closing track off of their 1996 album Load when the band cut their hair and everyone lost their minds. It was a drastic change for the band and has been a dividing line for old and new Metallica fans to this day (For some it's the Black Album). For me, nothing beats the first four albums but I still enjoy the later stuff.

Mama bought me this CD for my 6th grade graduation present \m/. This is one of those songs that was really underrated and probably didn't receive much airplay due to its length and slow beginning. I think the solo (6:25) on here is fantastic.

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Destroyer of Dreams by Conquering Dystopia

Today's Instrumental Metal Track is Destroyer of Dreams by Conquering Dystopia; a side project featuring Jeff Loomis and Keith Merrow. This is the closing track off of their 2014 self-titled debut album. I wonder if this will be a one-off album for them since Loomis has joined Arch Enemy full time now.

Easy Like Sunday Morning Track - A Song for Mama by Boys II Men

Today's Easy Like Sunday Morning Track goes out to all the Mamas. This is A Song for Mama by Boy II Men. It is off of their 1997 album Evolution. It was also featured as the theme song for the movie Soul Food. This was the groups last top 10 hit.

Happy Mother's Day!

Weekend Wildcard - Gasoline Dreams by Outkast

Don't everybody like the smell of gasoline?

This Weekend's Wildcard is brought to you by Outkast. This is the opening track(besides intro) off of their 2000 album Stankonia. Khujo Goodie from Goodie Mobb appears on this track and sings the third and final verse. I liked this song even before I listened to it. One of my favorite Overkill songs  is titled Gasoline Dream so I was immediately interested in this one. And obviously I like the use of the guitar throughout the track.

"Youth full of fire ain't go nowhere to go, nowhere to go"

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

Today's Metal Track is Them Bones by Alice in Chains. This is the opening track off of their 1992 album Dirt which is one of the best albums of all time. This song is very efficient, clocking in at just 2 1/2 minutes.

This music video was featured on an episode of Beavis and Butt-head, where Butt-head claims that "this is the coolest video I've ever seen."

Jerry Cantrell on the song:
"I was just thinking about mortality, that one of these days we'll end up a pile of bones. It's a thought for every human being, whether you believe in an after-life or that when we die, that's it. The thought that all the beautiful things and knowledge and experiences you've been through just end when you end scares me, the thought that when you close your eyes for good, it's gone forever."

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Rain by Trivium

Today's Metal Track is Rain by Trivium. This is the opening track off of their 2005 album Ascendancy. This album was really raw compared to their other albums. I didn't care much for their most recent album. I'm hoping they will return back to their heavier roots.

"Rain is a very personal track about the way I felt about life during a period where I spent much of my time alone - agonizing in anxiety and boredom, failed expectations and treachery from so many I confided in. It seemed like all the while that I was going through this, the whole world kept moving along, happy and content with itself. The last lines of the song are to the world's happiness personified- and all I wanted to do was to kill that happiness, choke out it's every last breath."-Matt Heafy.

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Salem by Nothing More

Today's Metal Track is Salem by Nothing More. This is off of their 2009 album The Few Not Fleeting. This was the last album the band released before signing with a major label. These guys open up for Periphery during this year's tour (Same tour I mentioned yesterday).

These guys were fantastic live. They sounded much better live than they do on record IMO. During this song they went into an awesome triple drum solo.


Here is the live version from the show we saw. Drum solo starts around 2:50



And this bass solo was really cool too.

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - The Bad Thing by Periphery

Today's Metal Track is The Bad Thing by Periphery. This is off of their 2015 album Juggernaut: Omega which is the second CD of the their Juggernaut double album. This was filmed during their Juggernaut tour earlier this year. Adam, Greg, and I saw them on this tour but not his particular show. My eyes still hurt from those ridiculously bright flashing lights.

Scott's Instrumental Metal Track of the Day - Cloudburst by Plini

Today's Instrumental Metal Track is Cloudburst by Plini. This guy is from Sydney Australia and he releases his music through bandcamp and by mailing CDs directly from his home. This song was released in 2013 as a stand alone track

Thanks to Adam Satterwhite for the recommendation. 

Easy Like Sunday Morning Track - Stand by Me by Ben E. King

How about one more in memory of the late Ben E. King. Today's Easy Like Sunday Morning Track is Stand by Me off of his 1962 album Don't Play That Song. There have been over 400 recorded versions of this song. That is astounding!

A few weeks before he died, his original version was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

And since I forgot to mention it yesterday, Ben was born in Henderson on September 28, 1938.

Weekend Wildcard - There Goes My Baby by Ben E. King and the The Drifters

In memory of Ben E. King who passed away this past Thursday, this Weekend's Wildcard is There Goes My Baby by The Drifters. This was the first single by the second incarnation of the Drifters (previously known as the 5 Crowns), who assumed the group name in 1958 after manager George Treadwell fired the remaining members of the original lineup.

Ben was 76 years old. RIP

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Broken Down by Sevendust

Today's Metal Track is Broken Down by Sevendust. This is off of their 2003 album Seasons. This album was dedicated to the memory of singer Lajon Witherspoon's brother who was murdered in 2002.