Weekend Wildcard - Darlington by Hans Zimmer (Days of Thunder)

Doing the NASCAR Racing Experience today so I figured I would pick an appropriate song.

This Weekend's Wildcard is Darlington composed by Hans Zimmer. This is off of the Days of Thunder Film Score. It was not included on the Official Soundtrack. It was finally released in 2013 for the first time. Famous guitarist, Jeff Beck provides the guitar work throughout the films score.

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - The Frayed Ends of Sanity by Metallica

Today's Metal Track is The Frayed Ends of Sanity by Metallica. This is off of their 1988 album ...And Justice For All. This album marked the end of an era for Metallica (The best era). The success of this album and the video for "One" pushed the band into the mainstream. Three years later, they completely took the world by storm with the Black Album.

This song is about, you guessed it, losing sanity. The person is struggling to maintain a grip on reality: "Twisting under schizophrenia, Falling deep into dementia." He is very paranoid, thinking everyone is out out to get him and starts believing in crazy conspiracies. In the end, he even becomes skeptical of himself:

"Old habits reappear
Fighting the fear of fears
Growing conspiracy
Myself is after me
Frayed ends of sanity
Hear them calling
Hear them calling me!"

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Obey the Beard by Psychostick

In honor of Movember, today's Metal Track is Obey the Beard by Psychostick. Thanks to Walt for bringing this song to my attention today. This comical track is off of the band's latest album IV: Revenge of the Vengeance which came out last week. Apparently this song has been out much longer since this was posted on YouTube last year.

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Fatal Tragedy by Dream Theater

Today's Metal Track is Fatal Tragedy by Dream Theater. This is another one off of their outstanding 1999 concept album Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory.

In the song preceding this one, Nicholas learns that he was a girl, Victoria, in a past life. During this song, Nicholas learns from an old man that a girl, Victoria, was murdered (Fatal Tragedy) and that the details surrounding the murder are still a mystery. From there, Nicholas becomes obsessed with unveiling the truth about the murder of his past self.

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Ten Speed (Of God's Blood and Burial) by Coheed and Cambria

Today's Metal Track is Ten Speed (Of God's Blood and Burial) by Coheed and Cambria. This one is off of their 2005 album Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness (Whoa, that's a mouthful; Let's just say IV, part 1).

This is a pretty funny song about Claudio (The writer) and his subconscious which happens to be a possessed Ten Speed bike. Ten Speed keeps telling Claudio to kill off a character in the story but he doesn't want to because he loves her.

"But are you going to kill her off?"
"It's not your decision. I love the character, she stays."
"Yeah, well the only thing love's done is put you in this position; I say kill her off!"
"Yeah, but you say a lot of things... and how does that work? You're a bicycle"

Scott's Instrumental Track of the Day - Jessica by The Allman Brothers Band

As a follow up to Saturday's post, today's Instrumental Track is Jessica by The Allman Brothers Band. This fantastic jam is off of their 1973 album Brothers and Sisters. This video is from a live performance in 1982. How baller is Dickey Betts with that hat, shades, shirt, stache combo?

Not many people know this but I actually wrote this song for my lovely wife Jessica. Now, how The Allman Brothers released it in 1973, I don't know. Are they psychics, time travelers, wizards? I don't know. No one questions The Allman Brothers. At least that's what their lawyers told me.

Easy Like Sunday Morning Trac- The Thrill is Gone by B.B. King

Today's Easy Like Morning Track is The Thrill is Gone by B.B. King. This song was originally written by Roy Hawkins and Rick Darnell in 1951 which is a version of a similarly titled 1931 song written for the Broadway revue George White's Scandals. King's 1969 version became a huge hit and earned him the 1970 Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. This video is from a live performance in Montreux in 1993.

Weekend Wildcard - I'm No Angel by Gregg Allman

This Weekend's Wildcard is I'm No Angel by Gregg Allman. This is the opening and title track off of his 1987 album I'm No Angel. Gregg is better known as a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band along with his brother Duane.

"Come and let me show you my tattoo"

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Throes of Perdition by Trivium

Today's Metal Track is Throes of Perdition by Trivium. This is off of their 2008 album Shogun.

I think this song is about a guy who is being attack by everyone in the world; "Blind-folded and gagged stood waiting, With the whole world, my firing squad." He also talks about being stabbed in the back numerous times and that he just is so use to it that he disregards it.

Pull another knife out
Stick it with the rest of them
When my back is full
Turn me around to face it

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Runes to My Memory by Amon Amarth

Today's Metal Track is Runes to My Memory by Amon Amarth. This is off of their 2006 album With Odin on Our Side. The band provides you with an excellent display of shirtless headbanging in this video.

It's videos like this that make me want to have long hair. Obviously that is not in the cards for me. I'll stick with the bald headbanging. More aerodynamic and less intrusive to headbangers in close proximity. At the last Opeth concert I got a continuous face full of hair from the dude in front of me.

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - In My Darkest Hour by Megadeth

Today's Metal Track is In My Darkest Hour by Megadeth. This classic is off of their 1988 album So Far, So Good... So What! Unlike most metal songs, this song has an emotional concept behind it related to isolation and loneliness and how when the narrator most need help, the ones he counted on were not there.

In my hour of need
Ha, you're not there
And though I reach out for you
Wouldn't lend a hand
Through the darkest hour
Grace did not shine on me
It feels so cold, very cold
No one cares for me

Scott's Metal Track of the Day - Kings of the Carnival Creation by Dimmu Borgir

Today's Metal Track is Kings of the Carnival Creation by Dimmu Borgir. This is off of their 2001 album Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia.

I ran in to an old friend and fellow metalhead, Paul, this past weekend and told him about the blog. He is a big Dimmu fan and recommended that I post this track.

Scott's Instrumental Metal Track of the Day - Ka$cade by Animals As Leaders

Today's Instrumental Metal Track is Ka$cade by Animals As Leaders. This is the opening track off of their most recent album, Joy of Motion, which was released earlier this year. This is another solid song by the band that is on par with their other effort. A little bit of djent, a little bit of solos, and a lot of technicality.

Easy Like Sunday Morning Track - Miracle by Foo Fighters

Today's Easy Like Sunday Morning Track is Miracle by Foo Fighters. This is off of the second CD on their 2005 album In Your Honor. This second CD contained acoustic songs compared to the hard rocks songs on the first CD. John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin plays piano on this song. Dave Grohl is a big Zeppelin fan.

Weekend Wildcard - Mr. Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra

This Weekend's Wildcard is Mr. Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra. This is off of ELO's 1977 double album Out of the Blue which was one of the most commercially successful albums released by the band.

Frontman Jeff Lynne locked himself in a wooden cabin in the Swiss Alps to write the album. After not coming up with anything for 2 weeks the sun shone in and he saw the beautiful Alp. He then wrote Mr. Blue Sky and 13 other songs over the next two weeks.

The song was played as a wake-up call to astronaut Christopher Ferguson on Day 3 of STS-135, the final mission of Space Shuttle Atlantis.