#but my favorite songs are always the bluesy ones

[charlott2n]

doom metal recs?

YESSSS THANK YOU FOR ASKING

FIRSTLY im going to plug my good mutual @wyrmweed's album Book of Rituals, under her band Saturniidae!!! incredible incredible album i sincerely love it and listen to it all the time.

ok now the album that got me into doom was blood lust by uncle acid and the deadbeats :) its more stoner metal/rock tbh but still very doomy in atmosphere with Evil Chords and such. incredible album all the way through

my current favorite is variations on a theme by OM. heavy and repetitive. only three songs including one twenty minute song. heavy and repetitive

windhand's self titled and soma are both impeccable!!

also alone by solitude aeturnus!

many people stand by dopethrone as electric wizard's best album but personally im a huge huge fan of witchcult today. plenty of very catchy songs there its really cool

bongripper is great!!! great barrier reefer and their 2024 album have both been in my rotation lately :) very cool band

basically anything by belzebong as well. i love their guitar tone its really good

also while im on good guitar tone, master of brutality by church of misery!!! incredibly bluesy music as well its so cool i love them

ok ill leave you with those thats probably more than enough lol. always happy to talk doom^-^ hope you enjoy any of these!!! please let me know if you do:) and thanks again for asking!!!!!

[milkgemini]

The Lemon Song

Pairing: Jake Kiszka x f!reader

Word Count: 3k

Warnings: smut! language, fingering, (f receiving) unprotected sex, roughish sex. 18+ minors DNI

a/n: this is my first time posting my writing. please be kind. 

listen

“this is a new one!” you perk up from your book, turning your head to make eye contact with him. 

“are you kidding me? this is a classic.” jake reaches over the arm of the couch to increase the volume on the record player. 

“I should’ve quit you a long time ago”

one of your favorite things about dating jake is the new music he exposed you to. being with him has brought you a new view on music as a whole. he showed you music that made you feel it through your entire body. you ventured out into different genres than what you were used to, and it became a fun game to show each other new songs you’ve found. 

“i should’ve listened baby, to my second mind” jake starts to sing along. you peak over your book at him, hiding your smirk behind the pages. he catches you watching him. “you enjoying yourself?” he says to you, with a sneaky grin stretched out across his face. 

the song picks up with a fast paced guitar solo. jake stands up and mimics the movement of playing the chords. he finally gets you to put the book down, receiving a quiet giggle from you. 

as the guitar solo comes to an end, the song begins to slow down to a bluesy rhythm. jake gets down on his knees, crawling over to you on the couch. his palms cupping your knees as you sit criss-cross. your hand is covering your mouth trying your best to stifle a laugh as jake carries out his performance for you. 

“people tell me baby, can’t be satisfied…” he mouths the lyrics to you with a smirk on his face. his hands smoothing further up your thighs. with your hands still covering your mouth, you feel your cheeks begin to burn. 

“try to worry me baby”, he continues. jake starts to stand up, only to sit back down next to you on the couch. his fingertips still tracing the length of your thigh. 

your eyes are both lulled with lust as you both can see where this is going. each of your gazes locked on the others lips. jake removes his hand from your thighs only to find your jaw, tilting your face to be looking at him directly now. painfully slow he begins to lean in, repeating the lyrics of the song back to you. 

he’s so close you can feel the warmth of his breath hit your upper lip. you scoot yourself involuntarily, a sign of need. he picks up on your movement and smiles to himself. 

your brows are upturned, almost as if a whine should be falling from your lips but you stay silent. he places the quickest soft kiss to you, which causes that same whine to come forth from you. 

“jake… please” from your criss-cross position, your legs are already spread apart, leaving jake the perfect opportunity to lay you back against the arm of the couch and slot himself between them. 

“i’ll give you what you want baby, don’t worry. you know i always do” 

your fingertips find his jaw, your other hand gripping the back of his neck forcing him onto your lips. his lips are soft with the contrast of the prickly hair on his upper lip. his movements mimick the rhythm of the song, slow and passionate. 

you become impatient. opening your mouth, silently begging to feel jakes tongue against yours. a subtle moan from him vibrates into you, sending your hips upwards to grind against him. with his weight pressing against you, you begin to feel his length hardening beneath his jeans. 

the kiss becomes deeper. more sloppy as you both want more. tongues battling each other for dominance. you can feel how wet and plump jakes lips are against yours, causing you to smile into the kiss. 

jake starts to subconsciously grind into your hip, looking for any sort of friction. your hand smooths his hair down as you sigh into his mouth. 

“Squeeze me babe, ‘til the juice runs down my leg” 

the song continues to play from the record player in the background. “ohh” you moan into jakes mouth. 

“you like that part, don’t you baby” he breaks the kiss to hover over your face locking his eyes with yours. with your bottom lip tucked between your teeth, you give him a nod as you look up at him, trying to put on the most inncocent face. 

jake removes his hand from cupping your face to start tracing the skin of your thigh again, inching slowly towards the hem of your pajama shorts. 

“squeeze me baby, until the juice runs down my leg” he whispers onto your lips. causing you to buck your hips up, hoping to reach his fingers quicker. 

his lips meet yours again, but his fingertips don’t stop, now at the top of your thigh. goosebumps following his touch. you begin to feel jake push your sleep shorts to the side, not yet touching you where you want him the most. you gasp into his mouth and he hums back into yours. 

“do you want me to touch you? you want to feel my fingers inside you?” 

your hands are now both grasping at the back of his neck. pulling him into you harder. 

“please jake” you mumble in between kisses. his middle finger ghosts down your slit, not yet spreading you apart to feel the wetness of your arousal. he loves to see you beg with your movements more than your words. your hips once again trying their best to meet his fingers. 

“tell me what you want. i want to hear you say it.” 

“i want you to touch me jake. i want you to play with my pussy. use your fingers to make me cum” 

a surge washes over him, and his lips crash onto yours, an animalistic groan escaping him. he increases the pressure of his middle finger, finally being able to feel how wet you are between your lips. 

“all this for me?” his face hovers over yours, watching you as his finger circles your entrance and trails up to your clit. 

“only you, jake. only for you” 

he loves to hear your fucked out voice when he touches you. watching your face contort with pleasure is his favorite. so instead of continuing the kiss, he stays at a distance, watching you as his finger swirls around your clit, eliciting soft moans from your throat. 

he maintains a steady rhythm, the movement of your hips confirming how much you’re enjoying his touch. with your hand still wrapped around the back of his neck, you pull down hard, causing his forehead to press against yours. he breathes in your moans, answering back with some of his own. 

“more. put your fingers inside of me” you practically beg. 

he listens intently and ghosts your entrance, enjoying watching you squirm. 

“in here, baby?” he looks down at you, grin spread wide across his face. 

“please jake, inside. i want to feel your fingers inside me.”  

painfully slow, he begins to dip his middle finger past your lips. only reaching halfway before the  volume of your moans begin to increase. his nose is slotted against yours, foreheads touching, eyes locked. as his middle finger is pushed all the way inside you, he slowly retracts it, looking down to see your wetness glistening on his finger. he watches himself pump his finger in and out, his cock strained against the inside of his jeans. 

the sounds of his movements and your wetness fill the room, accompanied by your soft moans picking up their pace. 

“i love hearing how wet you are for me. so fucking hot.”

he slips a second finger inside of you, stretching you beautifully. your head snaps back against the arm of the couch. your moans become strained as his fingers pump into you faster now. he pushes them completely in and holds them there, looking back up at you. once you feel him stop his movements, you pick your head up to look at him questionably. as your eyes meet with his, exactly like he wanted so he could see your next reaction, he curls his middle and ring finger inside you. 

“fuck jake. oh my god” 

he curls them faster, switching between pumping them fast into you and steadying his fingers to curl up into your sweet spot. your lip is tucked between your teeth, biting down hard as the pleasure rushes through your entire body. 

jake can feel your pussy contracting around his fingers. his sign that you are close to climax. 

“give it to me, baby. let me feel it on my fingers” 

his raspy voice instructing you to cum was all you needed to let yourself go. stretching your neck out, your head hits the arm of the couch, a wailing moan falling past your lips. your grip on the back of his neck tightens, causing you to pull at the hair at the base of his head. the slight painful pleasure of you pulling his hair motivates him to shove his fingers into you harder. 

“jake, i….” your voice is strained letting your orgasm take over you. 

“i know baby, let me feel it. show me how good it feels” 

his pace never slows. his thumb now swiping over your clit as he continues to curl the two fingers inside of you. begging you to cum all over his fingers. once you feel the movement against your clit, you’ve lost control. 

“holy fuck baby. yes keep going” he chants to you. 

jake knows if he hits your spot just right, he’s able fo make you forcibly cum. your wetness leaking out onto the palm of his hand now. 

“fuck fuck fuckkk jake” 

as his paces slows, you feel the puddle beneath your ass on the couch. his fingers made you squirt. 

he retracts his fingers from inside of you, inspecting how wet they are from your pussy. making eye contact with you, he sucks both of his fingers between his lips. 

grabbing your jaw harshly, causing your lips to pucker, he brings his mouth just before yours. 

“taste yourself on my tongue. tastes so sweet” 

he leads in with an open mouth. pushing his tongue inside, allowing you to taste your own pussy. he moans into your mouth. you feel the vibrations down your throat. 

“tastes good doesn’t it?” 

“mhm” you shyly nod to him. reaching your hand between the two of you to rub against his erection being confined in his jeans. 

“do you want to touch me, sweet girl?” 

his eyes never breaking contact with yours. you silently nod, and he remains this eye contact as he reaches between you both to undo the button and pull his zipper down. he leans back on his heels. his chin to his chest as his shirt is tucked between. his eyes now focusing on the movement of his own fingers as he pulls his jeans and underwear down past his hips. his cock springs free of confinement, slapping against the skin below his navel. 

you grab his length, swiping your thumb over the tip, collecting the precum that’s begun to leak out. the slightest touch from your soft fingertips pulls a groan out of jake. his hips bucking up into your touch. growing impatient, he stands to push his jeans and underwear to the floor, stepping out of them one foot then the next. he realizes you still have your sleep shorts on and curls his finger around the elastic hugging your waist. he pulls the shorts down with such force it causes you to whimper. 

readjusting himself to slot between your legs again, he’s on his knees, stroking his cock to the sight of you spread out for him. 

he pushes his length down to reach you, sliding himself between your folds to feel how wet you are, this time on the tip of his cock. your breath hitches everytime he slips past your clit. his shirt still tucked between his teeth, he watches himself play with your pussy with his cock. 

needing more, he locks eyes with you again, “can i, baby?” 

“please jake. put it inside me” you beg. 

“fuck”, his jaw falls agape, leaving his shirt to fall to his waist again. as he realizes it blocks his view, he grasps the hem of shirt, yanking it over his head and tosses it across the room. 

jake loves to watch himself ease into your pussy every time. to see his length disappear and settle inside of you causes him to twitch, an almost impossible to hear moan coming past his lips. 

as he reaches the hilt, he gives you a second to catch up to how stretched and full you feel with him all the way inside of you. he glanced up to your eyes silently asking for permission. 

“move jake.” is all he needed to hear from you before he unleashed his movements inside. he skips being slow, jumping right into his hip bones crashing against the back of your thighs. he pulls out completely, just to push himself all the way back inside with quick thrusts. 

still watching his cock go in and out of your pussy, he mindlessly grabs your throat. feeling the pressure inside of you followed by the tightness of his fingers wrapped around your neck, you trail your own fingers down to swipe quickly over your clit. or try atleast. 

jake picks up on what your trying to do and swats your hand away. 

“this is my pussy, right?” he groans to you expecting an answer. 

you moan in response. this isn’t good enough for him. 

“answer me. is this my pussy? is this all for me?” 

“yes jake. all for you.” is all you can manage to respond. your answer coming out breathlessly as you feel the tip of his cock brushing up against your cervix harshly with every thrust. 

“then i’ll fucking touch it. not you” his thrusts become harder, leaving you underneath him whimpering. a mixture of pleasure and pain. the burn from the stretch of his cock hurting you just right. 

his four fingers spread against your stomach pressing down, as his thumb finds your clit, swiping rhythmic patterns against it. the inside of your thighs begin to twitch, as the pleasure of both becomes too much. 

“jake i’m going to-“

“fucking cum. right now. cum on my cock, princess” he pants between each thrust. 

as he continues to push harder inside you, the pace of his thumb on your clit never faltering, the pleasure overtakes you. 

he watches from above you as your eyes roll into the back of your head. you feel the orgasm approach with heat rising under your skin. with your ankles wrapped around his hips, your toes begin to curl as your climax is unleashed. the hard thrusts of jake’s cock in and out of you never stop as he rides you through your orgasm. 

“that’s it baby let it out” a drop of sweat begins to form on his forehead from all of the work he’s putting into shoving himself deep inside of you. 

the feeling of your pussy quivering around his cock, and the high pitched moans you’re giving him, push him closer to the edge. he’s holding out and you can tell. 

your fingernails scrape down the bare skin of his back causing his eyes to flutter. 

“cum for me jake. i know you want to let go” 

his eyes shut tight.  your soft coaxing voice being the one thing to set him off everytime. 

he’s beginning to lose the rhythm of his thrusts. quick grunts. him too, now experiencing the pleasure becoming too much as you clench yourself around his cock on purpose. 

“The way you squeeze my lemon, I’m gonna fall right out of bed”

“give it to me, jake. let me feel it” 

his fingers dip harshly into the meat around your hips. pressing so hard he can feel the bone. his teeth are clenched so firmly you can see the bone of his jaw from the side of his cheeks. 

he removes the grasp from around your neck and presses the same thumb he used to play with your clit against the lips of your mouth. you invite him in, wrapping your lips around his thumb, sucking lightly, while swirling your tongue around inside. 

“fuck i’m gonna cum. where should i-“

“inside baby. i want to feel your warm cum leak out of me”

your words were all he needed to come undone, finally. his jaw falling slack as he panted in rhythm to his thrusts. with his cock pushed all the way inside of you, he holds himself still, unleashing his cum inside you fully. he cranes his neck down to watch himself pull out of you, followed by his cum leaking out from your pussy onto the couch. he glances back up to you catching your eyes. 

“fuck, look what you do to me” his fingers collect the cum that starts to pool out of you. he shoves them back inside of you to push all of his cum back in. although sensitive, you welcome his fingers, the thought of him pushing his cum back up into your pussy making your eyes roll back once more. he slips them out of you, bringing them to your lips for you to taste. you suck his fingers clean of both your cum and his. 

“good girl. always so good for me” he brushes away the hair stuck to your forehead from sweat and tucks it behind your ear. his lips press a soft chaste kiss to yours. he can feel the smile spread across your lips pressed against him. 

jake assists you in sitting up, immediately gripping the back of your neck and thighs to pull you up into his arms bridal style. you quickly gasp bringing his attention to your eyes. 

“what’s wrong?” he asks you. 

“jake… the couch” your gaze shifts to the wet spot on the couch he caused from you. 

he softly laughs to himself, realizing what you’re worked up about. 

“jake! it’s not funny!” you squeal, a smile on your face so he knows you’re not that serious. 

“don’t worry about it, baby. let’s get you cleaned up first, then the couch… maybe” he shoots you a wink before walking you down the hall.

[vintageshanny]

Elvis Top Three - 1950s Songs

Hello my sweet Elvis friends! The question this week is…what are your top 3 Elvis songs from the 50s? (This to me would include anything recorded in the 50s, even if it wasn’t released until later). This one was SO much harder than I thought it would be. As I looked through The Complete 50s Masters to help me decide on my top three, I was just astounded at the sheer number of great songs he recorded in such a short time span. This man was truly legendary (as if you all didn’t know).

As always, this list could change tomorrow (or in an hour), but here are my top three in this moment:

One Night – Elvis gives such a soulful, sexy rendition of this song; I can’t even tell you how much I love his vocals on this. I also love the story behind the song. The record label felt the original lyrics were too suggestive, but Elvis loved the song so much he played around with it and came up with new lyrics that allowed him to release it as a single. When he performed it at the Comeback Special, you can see how he sort of surprised himself by slipping back into the original lyrics. This is one of those songs you could tell he really enjoyed performing. His passion when he sings this just makes me feel some kind of way.

Heartbreak Hotel – This one is just classic. It was definitely his breakthrough song for a reason. The haunting, hiccup-y vocal, the bluesy piano riff, the lyrics…this to me was just so different from other rock n’ roll stuff. I think it really set him apart. And I love his really bluesy live versions of this later on.

Don’t – I’ve just been kind of obsessed with this one lately. I think the lyrics are sweet (“This you can believe, I will never leave you” – swoon), and this man could just sing a ballad like no one else. His voice makes me feel safe. It is really just perfection.

Runner-ups: It was just painful how many I could not include. Some others up for consideration were Just Because, That’s All Right, Shake Rattle and Roll, Any Way You Want Me, Tomorrow Night, Trying To Get To You, Anyplace is Paradise, Milkcow Blues Boogie…I could go on forever! ❤️

Please share your favorite Elvis songs from the 50s! Anyone join in the fun! 😘

@whositmcwhatsit @be-my-ally @thatbanditqueen @ellie-24 @vintagepresley @lookingforrainbows @prompted-wordsmith @flwrs4aust @iloveelvis @argeriant18 @loving-elvis @alienelvisobsession @ab4eva @manebioniclegali @deke-rivers-1957 @rjmartin11 @elvisalltheway101 @satninroses @doll-elvis @devilsflowerr @missmaywemeetagain @troubleinapinksuit @cryingabtab @generoustreemystic @samfangirls @animalloverthingsss @velvetelvis @everythingelvispresley @arrolyn1114 @claire-elvisgirl @kendralavon7 @vintage-leisure @blighted-star @queenncreole @basicpresleygirl @lllsaslll @elvissbabygirl @powerofelvis @ashtag6887 @sissylittlefeather @dkayfixates @peskybedtime @lettersfromvenus @burnthheparaphilia @thetaoofzoe

[herrlindemann]

Oor - September 2004, Interview with Richard

Three years after Mutter, Rammstein comes back with Reise, Reise with a more human sound. Guitarist Richard Kruspe explains why open laughter is allowed.

Has Rammstein gone soft with Reise, Reise? Not exactly given the criticism of first singe Mein Teil and the accompanying video clip. But the Berlin group has certainly changed. Look at those pictures. The militaristic and post-apocalyptic poses have given way to a more comical image. They have shot a few more series: at the edge of a swimming pool, on the beach, in the sauna and in a bullfighting arena. And listen to Amerika, and Amore, and Reise Reise’s title track. They are accessible and infectious tracks with a victim (see box). Self-awareness Richard Kruspe calls it. In 2004, Rammstein dares to take a step back from himself.

Los is Kruspe's favorite new song. It is also the clearest thing that Reise, Reise is a different album than Sehnsucht (1997) and Mutter (2001). Kruspe wrote it for Mutter, but it was shelved until they decided to play the riff acoustically. "It's not what you would expect from a German band, especially not from this German band. It is a simple, AC/DC-like riff, which gives a bluesy feeling when played acoustically. It's unlike anything we've done before," says Kruspe. And yet Rammstein, unmistakably.

“We decided that a few things had to be changed when making this album. For me personally, this first and foremost meant that work had to be less tense. Previously, the aggression in the music was paramount and the mutual friction in the band was also an important factor in the recording process. This time we consciously tried to leave the egos outside the door more. Give each other a little more space. And I think that's why this album sounds a bit more human than its predecessors. We used fewer machines, which was also a goal in itself. The live feeling had to be there. No more having to figure out our own songs afterwards, because we've been cutting and pasting too much.

We used to be more on each other's skin because… everyone had their hang-ups and because in a band with six people you just have clashing characters. Rammstein has no leader. All six of us are equal, which means that each of us fights for his place and there are sometimes endless discussions. That causes problems. In fact, it can lead to major crises. At the time of Mutter I had very clear ideas about how the music should and should not sound. I was pretty rigid about that, but luckily at some point I realized I had to let go of that and see the whole picture — a dynamic six-man group. It was a particularly intense period, in which I finally decided to live in New York, I literally had to distance myself.”

Kruspe was not alone in struggling with his place in the democratic whole that is Rammstein. Each band member has opted for a form of self-therapy.

"Of course it's quite a bit. Over the years you get a certain vision of your work and your music, which does not necessarily correspond to that of the five others. Just deal with that. When I once started the project — because Rammstein was a project, I didn't have a permanent band in mind — my starting point was that I wanted to work with similar musicians. Everyone has the same input. It has remained that way and gradually no one has ever allowed himself to be commanded by another. Maareh… There is always a kind of chemistry between people. Men, women, it doesn't matter. With the six of us, that chemistry is quite explosive.”

This means that Rammstein is standing at the mixing desk in the studio. "You! More bass! More guitar! More drums! That's really how it goes. That's why we also need a producer [for Reise, Reise was just like on the three previous studio albums Jacob Hellner]. He gets twenty, thirty percent more out of the songs. And the work would never get done otherwise. What we do notice, now, after ten years, is that some of us have become less fanatical. Not everyone has an opinion on every aspect of music. Can't either. But to admit that you have to turn off your ego. Well, that has now happened. For the new album we wrote more as a band. That is different from before and that is important, because when you write as a band, it is easier to discuss. »

Kruspe does not discuss the lyrics: “Till actually writes poems, not lyrics. Sometimes they fit, sometimes they don't. That is simple. Some of his poems have nothing to do with my feelings, but have such a strong story that I can go along with it completely. It helps that I've known Till for about eighteen years. I know where a text like Stein um Stein comes from. A man who bricks up his wife because he doesn't want to lose her. The biggest problem for a human being is letting go. That even plays a role in Mein Teil. To give things away, to renounce, to distance myself. Very difficult: Such a theme means that I can identify with that text. That's enough.”

A project, then, was Rammstein initially. Kruspe once shared a flat with Oliver Riedel and Christoph Schneider. Together they began to develop musical ideas, without any suspicion of worldwide success. Second guitarist Paul Landers, Till Lindemann and keyboardist Christian 'Flake' Lorenz later joined them; the latter only under the necessary pressure.

Kruspe: “With Mutter, Rammstein has made a big leap, especially in Europe. We have become a stadium band. But we never thought about any success. It started with an idea. We wanted to try everything. Success or no success, grow big or stay small, that did not occur to us. A band has its own dynamics, which you cannot plan. When we got success that was nice, but what do you do with it? A man must follow his intuition. Even if after ten years you are no longer as free as when you started, you should still try to keep working from a certain naivety. Switch back to the time when you were open-minded about your music. It was Picasso who said later in life that it would take him all his life to paint like a child again. That's it: learn everything and forget it again. We try and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Of course you can't take it too literally, because you grow as a person and you are always influenced by new things. But it is a good starting point.”

That said, Rammstein is not enough for any of the members to fully satisfy creativity. Kruspe doesn't want to limit himself, so he puts some of the music he writes aside for other projects. “New York helps me with that. When I'm there, I'm not so overpop Rammstein. And that makes it easier for me to write and play. In a sense, I've already put this album behind me and I'm working on new ideas. I'm working on now… I can't say too much about it. Not a band, but a nice project that will interest people.”

Reise Reise’s second single, is Amerika, with the irresistibly jolly chorus 'We’re all living in Amerika, Amerika ist wunderbar' (later it becomes 'We're all living in Amerika, Coca-Cola, Wonderbra').

“The claim that Germans have no humor is outdated. Germany has become self-aware in the last decade — and humor comes when one develops self-awareness. Amerika comes directly from our band humor. It's not a political statement, we don't do that.

I believe that everything in life should be in balance. You don't eat a whole cake, a piece is enough. A look at America shows us that there is a lot out of balance there. America controls the whole world and that is a bit too much. But it's not a black and white story. It is also the people themselves, in the US and abroad. I remember the first time I drank Coca-Cola. Dude, that was cool. It tasted good, it felt good, the marketing of that brand worked perfectly for me. Isn't that nice? It's just well done. Now I know how much sugar is in it, how bad it is for you. I make a choice. Anyone can do that. Coca-Cola, Hollywood… It doesn't take that much effort to look beyond that.”

Rammstein made his breakthrough in America with Sehnsucht. David Lynch used the group in his movie Lost Highway and a Lollapalooza tour did the rest. Kruspe: “I think that the theme and the visualization of Sehnsucht came at just the right time for many American young people. However, in America everything moves very quickly. You can suddenly be successful, but you can also forget it in no time. An American band therefore has to tour endlessly, visit radio shows, make a noise. As a German band that is impossible, because you already put a lot of energy into your own country and Europe. When we toured for Mutter, we found that we simply had no strength left to restart the whole story in America as well. Plus, after September 11, 2001, America took a much more restrained attitude towards foreign groups. Patriotism was rampant, even when it came to pop music. Now it could come again. Rammstein has a certain cult status. Rammstein is cool, you know. And in Germany it helps if you prove yourself in the US. They look at you differently. America remains the largest music market; if you grow up in Europe, you want to go there. Not for the music itself. Interesting trends and developments have long ceased to come from the States.”

At the time of their first album Herzeleid (1995), Rammstein was a band from 'the former East Berlin'. Today those words hardly have any value. Kruspe has seen Berlin change. West Berlin was a different world. The capital of darkness. A dark, depressive atmosphere. “When I ended up there, I didn't feel comfortable at all. [Kruspe fled east to west via Hungary and Austria shortly before the fall of the wall.] Yes, West Berlin was substantially Easier than East Berlin. Now you can also find a lot of merriment in the city. East and West have drawn together and that gloom that David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Nick Cave deliberately sought out is largely a thing of the past. I am someone who quickly feels at home somewhere. Not in the sense of family or friends, but in a general sense. In New York it is easy to get to know people, but it is very difficult to make friends. The city has so much energy, which I don't feel in Berlin. In New York, capital of the world, you want to go out and feel part of something bigger, of a whole. You feel lonely in your apartment. In Berlin, the capital of Germany, the situation is reversed. There you feel lonely when you walk on the street and it is nice to be at home. Now I still fly back and forth. A month here, a month there, so I can't say I feel completely at home in New York yet. I am someone who tries to live intuitively. I went from the countryside to the Berlin suburbs, then to Berlin itself, now to New York… I am a wanderer. After 25 years in and around Berlin, I also feel the call of other places.”

Back to Los for a moment. What sets that song apart from the rest of Rammstein's repertoire is the primal feeling that emanates from that acoustic riff. For once no associations with drinking and sea shanties, but American roots. Still, Kruspe says, "I've never been a fan of American rock culture. I liked English hard rock much more than American hard rock. Only with bands like Faith No More and 24-7 Spyz did I start listening to Americans. Metal itself bored me. The aggression of Metallica, for example, appealed to me, but I went more for the melodies of Judas Priest. What do I find nice Americans now? Queens Of The Stone Age. Dave Grohl. But I listen more to the latest Killing Joke, or the Cure.

My own guitar sound is very metal. Why? Well, why do men prefer to ride a Harley… A metal guitar wall is the best thing there is. I get rid of my inner aggression with it. But you won't see me fiddling for hours on all kinds of guitar loops, I find that boring. I once studied guitar for a year or two to get better, but don't ask me about my guitar heroes. I find Depeche Mode's Martin Gore infinitely more inspiring than any guitarist.”

[heartsoulrocknroll]

Streetlife Serenade Ranked

Since this album is apparently vastly underrated, allow me to start this by saying that I absolutely love every song on this album. There isn't one that doesn't do it for me.

1) The Entertainer

I don't think I can adequately describe how much I love this song. I have always been so blown away by it. The instrumentation is so masterfully done, and each verse gradually builds on the last. There is the opening acoustic guitar, then that iconic synth riff that later repeats between verses throughout the song. The acoustic guitar continues on its own for the first verse, then the drums and bass come in on the second verse, then the steel guitar comes in on the third verse, then the banjo on the fourth verse, then the fantastic piano on the fifth verse. Then they all come together for the big crescendo of the sixth and seventh verses, while Billy absolutely goes nuts vocally. The cynical lyrics are some of the best that Bill has ever written, and I have always been obsessed with the rhyme scheme he used. It's poetic in a way that is reminiscent of Piano Man, but more impressive. Also shout out to the lost verse, which I love so much.

2) Weekend Song

This is an absolutely fantastic rock 'n' roll song, and I just love it more and more with time. I love that guitar riff, as well as the organ toward the end. I am obsessed with the gospely, bluesy piano riffs that are reminiscent of Ain't No Crime. And I think this is one of the best vocal performances Bill ever gave. I mean wtf!!!!!! He is so good, it makes me angry. I have seen this song compared to Take Me to the Pilot, but I won't go there other than to say eat your heart out, Elton. All those comparisons, but one thing Elton and Leon could definitely never do is sing like the great Billy Joel.

3) The Great Suburban Showdown

This is one of my favorite Billy Joel vocal melodies. It's one of those songs that just gets me right in my soul. The combination of the beautiful synth solos, the fantastic piano, the wistful pedal steel guitar, and the nostalgic lyrics alone would make me a little emotional, but add Billy's gorgeous vocal, and this song can easily bring me to the verge of tears.

4) Root Beer Rag

This is an incredible ragtime piano piece that sticks in my head for days after hearing it. I love everything about it, but I particularly love the part containing the dissonant, alternating major and minor seconds that comes out of nowhere and contrasts fantastically with the rest of the song. And I really love listening to live performances of this song and hearing Bill play it as fast as humanly possible, challenging the band to keep up.

5) Last of the Big Time Spenders

This is a song that I never hear anyone talk about, and I'm not sure why. I am obsessed with the piano on this song. It has a great, sort of jazz/blues flavor that provides an interesting juxtaposition to the country undertones of the pedal steel guitar. Bill has some incredible, soulful vocals here. And I think the lyrics are so clever, with the comparison of spending money and spending time. It's just a great song all around, and I think it leads really nicely into Weekend Song, which comes next on the album and has a similar feel.

6) Los Angelenos

This is an awesome rock song that goes harder than a lot of the songs on Glass Houses, with a great combination of electric piano, electric guitar, bass, excellent vocals by Billy, and some vintage, sardonic Billy Joel lyrics.

7) Roberta

I love the prominence of the piano on this song. The piano throughout the whole song is beautiful, but I especially love the intro and the piano break before the last verse. This seems to be a theme of this album, but there are more particularly great vocals from Billy here as well.

8) Streetlife Serenader

I absolutely love the classical sound of the piano in this song. The intro is just gorgeous. Billy's vocal here is great, and the rare appearance of his falsetto is delightful to me.

9) Souvenir

This song is short and sweet, but it is so good. The melody is gorgeous, the piano intro/outro is beautiful, and the wistful lyrics can really make me emotional.

10) The Mexican Connection

This is a beautiful, relaxing piece of music. I love all the piano work here and how it is complemented by the guitar, the congas, the organ, and, later on, the marimba. I especially love the big crescendo of piano chords at 2:03.

[readyforthegarden]

GVF as: My Favorite Fleetwood Mac Songs

Sam

you make loving fun / bonus: silver springs - sam is just that charming, silly goofy lover. He does things his own way and always wants to see a smile on your face, so he’ll do everything he can to make you believe in the magic of love.

But he also has a side to him that seems to be held back, like he can’t truly let himself love for fear of getting hurt, and ends up being the one doing the hurting.

Jake

The Chain - the slight western/folksy bluesy guitar throughout, the finality of the lyrics Jake seems the type to love passionately or not love at all. Reserves himself for those who care to know him deeply and if you get to that level and break his trust? It’s done. You've broken the chain.

Josh

Honey, Hi - a man so filled with light and love can only be this song. It’s truly under-appreciated (as is the whole Tusk album imo) and is such a perfect sweet love song, a letter home to your love. If you’ve never heard it, please listen to this song right now and you’ll understand.

Danny

Love in Store - I mean!!!!! He’s just Danny!!! Sweet soft summer child Danny. I feel like he truly wants to fall in love with The One and everyone he meets could be them. He wants a love that dances in the kitchen with him while cooking or cleaning, no matter what genre is playing on the radio. It’s go with the flow, just like the melody of this song.

[impala-dreamer]

I've seen you talk about Radio Company before, and I've always meant to listen to their music, but I never got around to it for whatever reason (life? LOL). If you could pick one or two songs to listen to first, what would you recommend? (Not including "Sounds of Someday," since that was played on SPN, meaning ive technically heard it already. If you don't feel like answering this, no worries! I'm enjoying your writing! 😊)

Hello, my darling!! Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoy my work :)))

as for Radio Company...

It's hard to pick one or two songs overall because all three albums are vastly different in style and song writing. 'Keep on Ramblin'" is a full on country album. Vol.2 is very bluesy. Vol.1 is Jensen screaming about SPN and Cons and Misha for 10 songs lol So.. it's really up to your personal tastes. Don't go back to SoundsOfSomeday. IMO- one of their worst songs. lol

Anyway, in that vein, here are 2 songs on each album that I believe are the best and I go to before any other:

Vol 1 - "Bound" and "Off My Mind" are my faves, Cannonball a close third. (but Beka, those are Steve songs! no. they're RADIOCO SONGS AND STEVE IS IN RC AND A HUGE PART OF IT AND HE"S AMAZING ON HIS OWN WHY DONT YOU GO LISTEN TO 'SPOT IN THE CORNER' ALBUM AND TELL ME HE"S NOT AN EPIC MUSICIAN!?!?) oo, sorry. I get goin on Carlson and I can't stop lol

Vol 2 - "Anyway That You Want Me" and "Dead To Rights". Although, I will say, this is my favorite album and I enjoy every single song. So, just start with this whole album and you'll be happy ;)

Keep On Ramblin' - "Every Light" and "Ain't No Tellin'" are probably my top faves. "Right Kind of Trouble" a close runner up. Now, it took me a long time to appreciate this album but it's grown on me. It oooozes Dean Winchester's Swan Song and I love it. I really do. And try to listen to 'Every Light" without slamming the steering wheel on "Boooze and cheap tattooooos along the wayyyy" I dare you.

So, uh... yeah! I hope you dive into the great band that is Radio Company. Give it all a listen. It's really fun to hear how Jensen finds his true voice throughout the albums and how his songwriting grows. As I said before, I'm a huge SCarlson fan, so check him out too. "Between You and Me" is one of my faves by him. You won't be disappointed.

Happy Listening!

[steelajeeg]

Mizuki Ichiro has passed away.

I knew this news was coming eventually, but I was hoping we had more time with him.

I find some comfort in the fact that he got to fulfill his wish - performing until the very end.

Do what you love every day of your life and to will have lived a hundred lifetimes. And will have touched countless more lives.

This is how I will always remember him.

On stage.

Electrifying the audience.

A true showman.

Please indulge me in a quick personal story:

There have been more than a few moments in my life where everything felt hopeless. Like a darkness that you just can't shake.

In my early 20s, circa the early 2000s, I was going through a period like that.

As we tend to do in moments where we are seeking comfort, I decided to do a deep dive into some of my favorite anime songs from when I was younger. Mazinger Z being a huge favorite of mine. It would be a good distraction, and some nostalgia that I could lose myself in.

I hadn't seen it in years, but I figured it should be easy enough to find online.

This just so happened to be around the time songs from the Super Robot Spirits 2000 live show started to appear online.

This led me down the rabbit hole - first to the live version of Mazinger Z from that aforementioned concert - then to the overflowing trove of other songs Mizuki Ichiro performed. Steel Jeeg, Baratack, Kamen Rider Stronger, countless others. Crossovers with other performers I adored. Jazzy opening themes of adventure and bravado; bluesy ballads of loss and perseverance that played over end credits.

I realized that this man was the sound of my childhood.

I'll always find comfort in that Super Robot Spirits 2000 concert.

The energy from those performers was infectious. It was hard not to smile when they took to the stage and ignited the audience. It was joyful and exciting and kinetic and moving. It helped me through a period when I was struggling to find joy. It helped me understand the importance of sharing joy.

And it all started with Mizuki Ichiro

Not just for me.

For millions, all across the world.

He was the spark that lit the fire of the genre. He was the electricity that made it light up. One of the greatest voices to ever perform, and it never mattered that it was "just" music from cartoons.

The world will be a darker place now that Mizuki Ichiro is gone. But we'll always have his music. His love of performing. And the countless other artists he inspired along the way.

Rest in peace, Aniki - thank you for everything. Your music got me through some very hard times. Still gets me through them.

You were an unforgettable talent, and your music will live on.

[yuliangs]

7, 16, 19, and 22 for the ask game!

7. which song/group introduced you to kpop?

short answer: shinee <3

16. your bias(es)' best look(s)?

this was the hardest question ever because i could give you no joke a top 30 looks for all of my guys. but i tried to keep it simple

nightwalker ten in the mugler top i was sickkkk i was gaggedddd

i can't not mention instinct pt 1 mill in the denim......yeah

any jun han look where he has a skirt or long hair or pretty makeup or where he looks like my emo princess goth gf punk dreamgirl or smth

pink yonghoon in the light blue suit <3333

i've been obsessed with this pic of kanghyun lately

i'm in love with every single look woodz has ever had but i'm very fond of this "draw me like one of your french girls" look

this is gonna get long sorry so rest under the cut

19. your all time favorite kpop songs?

i'm gonna try not to go with the ones i always say so let's go with some random all time faves

hide and seek by snuper

better day by 100%

feel good by shinee

boss by onlyoneof

hear me out by exo

paradise by infinite

nanana by imfact

22. your favorite concepts?

weeping. im glad you asked

any concept a.c.e has done tbh but especially butterfly phantasy

whatever sticker was. yeehaw

whatever onlyoneof instinct pt 1 was

there's so many more but let's end it with feel like by woodz and i'll include this bit i like from a dazed article

On “Feel Like” (“This song came out so naturally it almost felt like I was possessed,” he notes) WOODZ is seductive –prowling a bar, steaming up a telephone box – and enigmatic, seemingly a solid reality until the end where he’s shown as an imagined scenario evoked by the song’s bluesy, languorous power.

this got so long im sorryyyy but thank you so so much denise i love youuuu <3333

[notafraidofredyellowandblue]

OOR 2004 - Nr 19 - Rammstein interview

Rammstein <The claim that Germans have no humor is outdated>

Three years after Mutter, Rammstein comes on Reise, Reise with a more human sound. Guitarist Richard Kruspe explains why openly laughing is allowed.

by Mark van Schaick

Has Rammstein gone soft with Reise, Reise? Not exactly, given the criticism of first single Mein Teil and its accompanying video clip. But the Berlin group has certainly changed. Look at those photos. The militaristic and post-apocalyptic poses have made way for a more droll image. They shot a few more series: at the edge of a swimming pool, on the beach, in the sauna and in a bullfighting arena. And listen to Amerika, and Amore, and the title track of Reise, Reise. They are accessible and catchy tracks with a double meaning. Mein Teil is also more than just the story of the German cannibal and his victim (see 'Mein Teil'). Richard Kruspe (37) calls it self-awareness. In 2004, Rammstein dares to distance itself from itself.

Los is Kruspe's favorite new song. It is also the clearest proof that Reise, Reise is a different album than Sehnsucht (1997) and Mutter (2001). Kruspe already wrote it for Mutter, but it remained on the shelf until they decided to play the riff acoustically. "It's not what you'd expect from a German band, especially this German band. It's a simple, AC/DC-like riff, which when played acoustically gives it a bluesy feel. It's unlike anything we've had before done,” says Kruspe. And yet Rammstein, unmistakable.

"We decided that a few things had to be different when making this album. For me personally, this first of all meant that we had to work less tensely. Previously, the aggression in the music was paramount and the mutual friction in the band was also an important factor in the recording process. This time we consciously tried to leave the egos at the door. To give each other some space. And I think that is why this album sounds a bit more human than its predecessors. We used fewer machines, that was also a goal in itself. The live feeling had to be included. No more having to figure out our own songs afterwards because we had been cutting and pasting too much.

We used to be more at each other's throats because... everyone had their hang-ups and because in a band of six people you simply have clashing characters. Rammstein has no leader. All six of us are equal and this means that each individual fights for his place and sometimes there are endless discussions. That causes problems. In fact, it can lead to major crises. At the time of Mutter I had very clear ideas about what the music should and should not sound like. I was quite rigid about that, but fortunately at a certain point I realized that I had to let go and see the whole picture - a dynamic group of six people. It was a particularly intense period during which I finally decided to live in New York. I literally had to distance myself."

Kruspe was not the only one who struggled with his place within the democratic whole that is Rammstein. Each band member has chosen a form of self-therapy.

"It's quite something, of course. Over the years you get a certain vision of your work and your music, which does not necessarily correspond to that of the five others. Just deal with that. When I once started the project - because Rammstein was a project, I didn't have a permanent band in mind - my starting point was that I wanted to work with equal musicians. Everyone had the same input. That's how it stayed and gradually no one ever let themselves be ordered by someone else. But eh...Between people, there is always some kind of chemistry. Men, women, it doesn't matter. With the six of us, that chemistry is quite explosive."

This means that Rammstein is standing at the mixing desk in the studio. "Yes! More bass! More guitar! More drums! That's really how it goes. That's why we have to have a producer [for Reise, Reise it was just like on the previous studio albums Jacob Hellner]. He gets twenty, thirty percent more from the songs. And otherwise the work would never be finished. What we do notice, now, after ten years, is that some of us have become less fanatical. Not everyone has an opinion about every aspect of the music. That's not possible either. But to admit that you have to turn off your ego. Anyway, that's happened now. For the new album we wrote more as a band. That's different than before and that's important, because when you write as a band, you can discussions are easier."

Kruspe does not discuss the lyrics: "Till actually writes poems, not lyrics. Sometimes they fit, sometimes they don't. That's simple. Some of his poems have nothing to do with my feelings, but have such a strong story that I can completely agree with it. It helps that I have known Till for about eighteen years. I know where a text like Stein Um Stein comes from. A man who bricks up his wife because he doesn't want to lose her. The biggest problem for a person is letting go. That even plays a role in Mein Teil. Giving things away, giving up, distancing yourself. Very difficult. A theme like that means that I can identify with that text. That's enough."

So Rammstein was initially a project. Kruspe once shared an apartment with Oliver Riedel (bass) and Christoph Schneider (drums). Together they started developing musical ideas, without even an inkling of worldwide success. Second guitarist Paul Landers (real name: Henry Hirsch 1)), singer Till Lindemann and keyboardist Christian 'Flake' Lorenz joined them later; the latter only under the necessary pressure.

Kruspe: "With Mutter, Rammstein has made a big leap, especially in Europe. We have become a stadium band. But we never thought about any success whatsoever. It started with an idea. We wanted to try everything. Success or no success, great become or stay small, that didn't occur to us. A band has its own dynamic, you can't plan that. When we got success that was nice, but what do you do with it? A person has to follow his intuition. Even if after ten years you are no longer as free as when you started, but you still have to try to continue working from a certain naivety. Switch back to the time when you were uninhibited about your music. It was Picasso who said later in life that he had spent his entire life going back to painting like a child again. That's it: learn everything and forget it again. We try and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Of course you can't take it too literally, because you grow as a person and you become always influenced by new things. But it's a good starting point."

That said, Rammstein isn't enough to fully satisfy any of the members' creativity. Kruspe doesn't want to limit himself, so he puts some of the music he writes aside for other projects. "New York helps me with that. When I'm there, I'm not so on top of Rammstein. And that makes it easier for me to write and play. In a way, I've already put this album behind me and am working on new ideas. I'm working on it now with... I can't say too much about it. Not a band, but a nice project that will interest people."

Second single from Reise, Reise is Amerika, with the irresistibly cheerful chorus 'We're all living in Amerika, Amerika ist wunderbar' (later on it becomes 'We're all living in Amerika, Coca-Cola, Wonderbra').

"The claim that Germans have no humor is outdated. Germany has become self-conscious in the last ten years - and humor comes when one develops self-awareness. America comes directly from our band humor. It is not a political statement, we don't do that.

I believe that everything in life should be in balance. You don't eat the whole cake, a slice is enough. A look at America shows us that there is a lot of imbalance there. America controls the entire world and that's a bit much. But it is not a black and white story. It also depends on the people themselves, in the US and abroad. I remember the first time I drank Coca-Cola. Man, that was cool. It tasted good, it felt good, the marketing of that brand worked perfectly for me. That's nice, isn't it? It's just done well. Now I know how much sugar is in it, how bad it is for you. I make a choice. Anyone can do that. Coca-Cola, Hollywood... It doesn't take much effort to look beyond that."

Rammstein broke through in America with Sehnsucht. David Lynch used the group in his film Lost Highway and a Lollapalooza tour did the rest. Kruspe: "I think that the theme and visualization of Sehnsucht came at exactly the right time for many American young people. However, in America everything moves very quickly. You can suddenly be successful, but also quickly forgotten. An American band must therefore tour endlessly, visit radio shows, make noise. As a German band, this is impossible, because you already put a lot of energy into your own country and Europe. When we toured for Mutter, we noticed that we simply no longer had the strength to tell the whole story again in America. Plus, after September 11, 2001, America took a much more cautious stance towards foreign groups. Patriotism was rampant, even when it came to pop music. Now it could be possible again. Rammstein has a certain cult status Rammstein is cool, you know. And in Germany it helps if you prove yourself in the US. They then look at you differently. America remains the largest music market; if you are big in Europe, then you want to go there. Not for the music itself. Interesting trends and developments no longer come from the States."

At the time of their first album Herzeleid (1995), Rammstein was a band from 'the former East Berlin'. Nowadays those words have little value. Kruspe has seen Berlin change. "West Berlin was another world. The capital of darkness. A dark, depressive atmosphere. When I ended up there, I didn't feel at ease at all. [Kruspe fled via Hungary and Austria shortly before the fall of the wall from east to west.] Yes, West Berlin was essentially worse than East Berlin. Now you can also find a lot of cheerfulness in the city. East and west have drawn together and that gloomy thing that David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Nick Cave looked for on purpose that is largely a thing of the past."

"I am someone who feels at home somewhere quite quickly. Not in the sense of family or friends, but in a general sense. In New York it is easy to meet people, but it is very difficult to make friends. The city has so much energy, which I don't feel in Berlin. In New York, capital of the world, you want to go outside and feel part of something bigger, of a whole. In your apartment you feel lonely. In Berlin, capital of Germany, it is the other way around. There you feel lonely when you walk on the street and it's nice to be at home. Now I still fly back and forth. A month here, a month there, so I can't say that I feel completely at home in New York. I am someone who tries to live intuitively. I went from the countryside to the Berlin suburbs, then to Berlin itself, now to New York... I am a wanderer. After 25 years in and around Berlin 2), I also felt the call of other places ."

Back to Los for a moment. What sets that song apart from the rest of Rammstein's repertoire is the primal feeling that emanates from that acoustic riff. No associations with drinking and sailor songs, but American roots. Yet Kruspe says: "I have never been a fan of American rock culture. I liked English hard rock much more than American hard rock. Only with bands like Faith No MOre and 24-7 Spyz did I start listening to Americans. Metal in itself bored me. The aggression of Metallica, for example, did appeal to me, but I went more for the melodies of Judas Priest. What Americans I like now? Queens or The Stone Age. Dave Grohl. But I listen more to the latest Killing Joke or The Cure.

My own guitar sound remains very metal. Why? Well, why do men prefer to ride a Harley... A metal guitar wall is the nicest thing there is. It makes me lose my inner aggression. But you won't see me fiddling around for hours on all kinds of guitar runs, I find that really annoying. I once studied guitar for a year or two to get better, but don't ask me about my guitar heroes. I find Depeche Mode's Martin Gore infinitely more inspiring than any guitarist."

Reise, Reise will be released on September 27. Rammstein will play in Ahoy, Rotterdam on November 4 and 5.

--

Mein Teil

“They've got a sense of humor, those guys from Rammstein,” says Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys as he points to the fork and knife on the cover of Mein Teil (My Member), the first single from the album Reise Reise . The Pet Shop Boys made two remixes of the song at the request of the Germans. The illustration may seem funny, but the song - a hard and melodic song by Rammstein standards - is a serious tribute to the German cannibal and his dinner companion from a few years ago. Two decent middle-aged gentlemen - one hungry for man meat, the other offering himself as a meal - find each other on the internet. After some emails back and forth, they decide to make their lifelong dream come true. Before one goes into the freezer, they cut off the member of one together, fry it in oil and garlic and eat it. And that is true love, says Rammstein. That's why they call Mein Teil a love song.

Unlike the sinister duo, Rammstein and the Pet Shop Boys did not meet in cyberspace, but through a mutual acquaintance, German composer Torsten Rasch. Tennant: "We were impressed by Mein Herz Brennt, the song cycle that Rasch based on songs by Rammstein. That's why we recently asked him to make some film music with us." The Pet Shop Boys had been fans of the Berlin six-piece for years. Their conversations with the composer, who is friends with members of Rammstein, showed a mutual appreciation. "At one point Rasch suggested that we edit a Rammstein track," says Neil Tennant. That track became Mein Teil.

The synth duo has upped the tempo of the Wagnerian track, replacing Schneider's monumental drum parts with energetic techno beats. The Fassbinder soundtrack-like voices of sirens and the sounds of knife sharpening have made them even more prominent than in the original version. You can't call the remixes scary, but they clearly reflect what the eaten German probably heard in his head, thanks to all the antifreeze, schnapps and sleeping tablets he took to undergo the bizarre act.

---

Sea shanties & Drinking buddies

Schlagers, Rammstein, Reise, Reise

Of course there is no doubt that you are hearing Rammstein when you put on Reise, Reise. But where Sehnsucht and Mutter aimed directly at the metal and industrial audience with their ever-increasing bombast, the human element is given more space on this fourth studio album. That means fewer computers and electronics; a more traditional approach, if you will. Some songs are kept smaller than you are used to. Los even floats on an acoustic guitar riff and the concept of 'rest' no longer only serves the threat and dynamics. And even though the riffs in the heavy tracks like Mein Teil or Keine Lust ('Mir ist kalt'), Stein um Stein or Morgenstern are again sky-high and recorded fabulously (regular producer Jacob Hellner and mixer Stefan Glaumann), Reise, Reise can appeal to a broader audience than its predecessors. The choruses of Morgenstern and the title track are a hit with anyone with a bit of sailor's blood in their veins and that of America is perfect for drunkards who are not afraid to declaim trodden social-critical observations. Back to back with America is Moskau, which shows Rammstein at his most festive. On Mutter the ballad (Nebel) closed the album. On Reise, Reise the point of rest comes earlier: Ohne Dich, a song as gray as a drizzly November morning. That song is followed by 'love song' Amore, which is also played largely subdued and which refers to the theme of Mein Teil. In summary: no big surprises, enough variety, a solid new Rammstein.

--

1) Article really says 'Henry Hirsch', we know it is 'Heiko Hiersche'

2) i'm not sure if Richard means this literal, because 25 years at this point would mean that he was in Berlin from age 12, and i don't think that was the case, but maybe he means it more broadly

--

List of other Rammstein OOR interviews

[sfsolace]

The soundtrack of the Hakumei & Mikochi anime

Today i will take some time to go over the soundtrack for the Hakumei & Mikochi anime. I'm still in the middle of the rewatch, so I'll share my thoughts on other aspects of the anime later.

The main OST is done by Evan Call, whose other notable works include Violet Evergarden and Frieren: Beyond Journey's End and it's a real standout in this anime!

It has cozy vibes in general, with a surprising amount of variety! We get some bluesy songs, more orchestral flute pieces, even a song that sounds like marching music. The breadth of musical styles this soundtrack takes on is honestly stunning.

If i had to pick something the soundtrack reminds me of, I'd say Pikmin and Yuru Camp. It can be soothing and calm in one scene, then energetic and exciting in the next; but it always retains a "homely" energy.

It has a pastoral quality to it, with a lot of harmonica, gentle guitars and the occasional piano. Come to think of it, I've heard a bunch of different instruments and the composers still maintains a sort of "palette". No single instrument seems out of place, yet there is something new to every song!

I remember being impressed by how fun the music is on my first watch, but now, rewatching it years later, it dawns on me how much of a feat this soundtrack truly is. I'm very glad Evan Call has found more acclaim and work after Hakumei & Mikochi, continuing with his impressive compositions; but it's very sad that this soundtrack continues to be overlooked.

Even though he has a spotify presence, the OST for Hakumei & Mikochi isn't there. Luckily somebody has uploaded it in it's entirety to YouTube. I really encourage you to have a listen!

Now, onto the Opening and Ending!

The opening features a song called "urar" by Chima. It has an almost post-rock soundscape (something about the sound of the guitars) and the vocals are so very beautiful.

Sadly, I can't find a youtube video of the actual opening of the show. It has these very minimalist high-saturation photos of nature with the credits looking a bit like chalk drawings.

It also features the silhouettes of some of the characters in these natural environments. In general, the whole opening has more melancholic vibe compared to the rest of the show and people expecting big sakuga will be disappointed. But it is quite beautiful and serves as a good intro for each episode.

Now for the ending!

The ending of each episode is set to the song "Harvest Moon Night", which is sung by the voice actors for Conju (Aoi Yuuki) and Mikochi (Shino Shimoji). Canonically it is the song they both sing together at the Harvest festival, which is a great touch.

The song is a favorite of mine and i love it's jaunty, upbeat feel. I can't explain why, but parts of the soundtrack and this song have a "country-like" quality to them. They remind me a lot of the endings to Konosuba.

All in all, the soundtrack is an aspect of the anime even the few fans don't talk about enough and I think it is a large part of what gives the anime its feel and quality, making the OST as well as the anime a true hidden gem!

The visuals of the ending are these adorable monochromatic silhouettes of the characters from the episode, with a the original "Walking Underfoot" segments next to them; a great way to show off the art of the anime and add some flavor.

[strawberryblondebutch]

What kind of music do you like?

I'm not going to be boring and say I listen to everything, because that's not actually true, but the genre matters less than two things: (1) dense, evocative lyrics, and (2) "traditional" instrumentation -- guitar, bass, drums.

Most of my favorite artists are emo bands. The Wonder Years will always be my number one. Say Anything, Fireworks, Spanish Love Songs, and Hot Mulligan round up the top five. Heart Attack Man, Thursday, Glassjaw, Head Automatica, Sincere Engineer, and the Menzingers are also all in that style.

I'm also really fond of bands with a more dramatic sound. Orchestral isn't the right word, neither is theatrical, because Manchester Orchestra has pretty traditional instrumentation, but they just sound very epic. I'd say the same about Circa Survive. The Dear Hunter, Leprous, and Caligula's Horse all kinda fall into that. Josh Ritter is a little less epic with his physical sound, but his storyweaving has that same quality. I'd say the same about Amigo the Devil.

I don't really like electronic music. Synths are a turn-off. I'm picky about my rap and my pop. I like strong vocal presence in those genres. The only Billie Eilish song I really liked was her Bond theme, because it felt like she was using more of her voice. Megan Thee Stallion and Chappell Roan are the most popular artists I actively like (I saw Meg this summer!) because they have a presence that I think other popular artists lack.

There's also a special spot in my heart for bluesy garage rock, because that's what I grew up playing. Stuff like Royal Blood, Black Pistol Fire, ZZ Ward, Rival Sons, old Queens of the Stone Age. Super fun guitar lines. Love a fuzz pedal.

[dustedmagazine]

2023: Bryon Rides Anxiety’s Peaks and Valleys

Yo La Tengo

This year really tossed us all around like a gigantic blender, swirling everything together into a writhing mass of fine particles. It’s been quite the ride. Thankfully amidst the chaos, there was music. The vast cornucopia of exhilarating sounds wound itself around the many genres, and the dozens of releases spread across these twelve months. It provided the healing salve to combat the bedlam lying in the realm beyond our ears.

For me, live music in 2023 was about quality over quantity. The two shows that affected me most this past year were aligned along the theme of reunion. I’ve been a fan of Yo La Tengo since high school but had strayed from the band’s past few releases. This Stupid World brought me back into their universe. I jumped at the chance to see them in Toronto; it had been decades since I last saw them play live. They played two sets, one soft and one loud, and they didn’t disappoint. As an added bonus, I got to meet fellow Dusted writer Ian Mathers at the show. Toronto post-rockers Do Make Say Think played their first show in six years in March, around my birthday. I wasn’t going to miss it. They unleashed an enticing set of music, playing material from across their entire catalog with intense energy. It was hypnotic and exhilarating. They were also jovial, joking about the current career prospects of the band members. It was a fun night.

Many perennial favorite groups and artists released excellent albums this year. Yo La Tengo returned to their early Matador form with This Stupid World, while The Clientele expanded into new, lush and uncanny territory on I’m Not There Anymore. Califone’s Villagers pushed the band’s adventurous, bluesy roots-rock into an experimental wonderland. Bill Orcutt released Jump On It, revealing his softer side. The Live in Brooklyn 2011 set from Sonic Youth found the group trying out songs they rarely played live, as they wound down their decades-long existence. Joshua Abrams’ Natural Information Society showed that they’re not done unleashing mesmerizing sonic salvos with Since Time is Gravity. Finally, Daniel Bachman continued to push his singular brand of Americana toward the outer limits with When the Roses Come Again, and Intercepted Message found Osees covering Cisco Systems’ telephone hold music. It was a good year for long-beloved institutions.

New to me this year was the band Famous Mammals and their polyglot post-punk album Instant Pop Expressionism Now! I returned to it time and time again; it was the soundtrack to my late summer and my autumn. Digging deeper into the San Francisco band’s origins, I discovered a previously hidden world of Bay Area post-punk, populated by a tight-knit scene that originated with The World, which would fracture into Famous Mammals, Non Plus Temps, Blues Lawyer, Children Maybe Later and others. The LP in question blends elements of Swell Maps, Young Marble Giants and Television Personalities, aligning with those outfits’ brashness, naivete, and wry sense of humor. It was at the top of my list in 2023 and led me to explore the SF underground further. That digging led me to Will York’s encyclopedic tome Who Cares Anyway? York gives an in-depth perspective to the goings on in the Bay Area from the post-hippie origins of its punk scene to the self-destructive chaos of Flipper and the visionary artistry behind acts such as Mr. Bungle, Caroliner, Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, et cetera. He also investigates the unique personalities that comprised the scene such as Brandon Kearney, Gregg Turkington, Seymour Glass, Barbara Manning, and Joe Pop-o-Pie. The book is worth exploring if you’re at all interested in any of the names I mentioned.

I always highlight at least one Canadian release, and this year I really got into the self-titled debut from Toronto duo You Can Can. The pairing of sound artist Andrew Zukerman and vocalist Felicity Williams is the perfect comingling of the familiar and the otherworldly. Alien soundscapes intercept beautifully crafted song forms, with synth squiggles and abstract patterns writhing alongside folk music signifiers. Let’s hope that You Can Can have more music in store for us in 2024 and beyond.

Bryon Hayes

[vintageshanny]

Elvis lovers! The question for this week is…soundtrack songs! What are your top three songs from Elvis movies? Don’t forget to say why they speak to you! I love reading all your choices and the reasons why they mean so much to you! ❤️

Return to Sender (Girls, Girls, Girls) - This is a song I’ve loved since I was a little kid, long before I became an official “Elvis fan.” Even though the lyrics are actually kind of sad, the music for this is so bright and cheerful that it always makes me smile. I love the percussive part that sort of sounds like someone is tap dancing. And after seeing Girls, Girls, Girls, I can’t help but picture him doing his cute dance moves with that big smile on his face.

In My Way (Wild in the Country) - I love the simplicity of this song. This really lets the beauty of his voice shine through, and it is just magical to hear that. ❤️

Trouble (King Creole) - Elvis does so well with bluesy songs like this, and I love how you can tell that he loves them and really gets into them. I love his cute accent on the spoken part, and the way his voice goes up and down when he sings the word “name.” I also love King Creole and New Orleans from this soundtrack. The style is just perfect for him.

Honorable Mention goes to basically the entire soundtracks for Jailhouse Rock and Loving You, especially the song Jailhouse Rock because it is just absolutely iconic from the opening notes on. Another one that I’ve loved for years and at one point would have said was my favorite Elvis song (back when I could probably only name 10-15 lol). “If you can’t find a partner use a wooden chair” was always my favorite line.

Tagging past participants but anyone feel free to join in!

@whositmcwhatsit @be-my-ally @thatbanditqueen @ellie-24 @plasticfantasticl0ver @lookingforrainbows @prompted-wordsmith @flwrs4aust @iloveelvis @argeriant18 @loving-elvis @presleysdarling @alienelvisobsession @ab4eva @manebioniclegali @deke-rivers-1957 @rjmartin11 @c-rosenn @elvisalltheway101 @satninroses @doll-elvis @devilsflowerr @missmaywemeetagain

[lllsaslll]

Today's lil' Elvis Music Gem🙏

Once again from the Elvis Back in Memphis album, which is quickly becoming my new favorite. This time "Stranger In My Own Home Town" has been standing out to me lately for the suprisingly poignant lyrics. While Elvis never wrote any of the music he recorded, his song choice is always delibrate and can give a glimps into his headspace at the time of recording, and "Stranger In My Own Home Town" is no different. Recorded in 1969 at the American Sound Studio after the success of The 68' Comeback Special. Elvis really is back in his own home town, recording in Memphis for the first time since 1955 before signing with RCA. The electricity and creative life in Elvis is felt through these recordings which went on to revitalize his recording career after a decade of musical movie soundtracks.

While not one of the bigger hits from the sessions like "Suspicious Minds", or "In The Ghetto", this song stands out to me for how comfortable he seems in this new laid back bluesy sound. It feels fresh and lived in, meaningful when he sings about returning home after everything's already changed.

[thisaintascenereviews]

Top 20 Favorite Albums Of All Time: 2024 Edition

Ranking the best albums of all time is really hard, because there are thousands of albums out there, and you maybe haven’t heard a lot of those albums you’d love. I’ve been a music fan for the last 17 years, give or take, and I’ve listened to tons of albums, but one thing I don’t usually do is make ranked best of lists of albums I personally love. I like doing yearend lists, because that’s only the single year, not of all time. I’ve only done a best of all time ranking once, and that was maybe a decade ago, but in the span of that time, my taste has changed. I thought it would be interesting to take a look at my favorite albums of all time. It took awhile, but over the last few years, my taste has changed a lot. It’s going to, as that’s how tastes work. I’ve always thought of tastes in media are fluid, and not finite, because you can have different opinions at different points in time. With that said, some albums I used to absolutely revere aren’t always I love that much anymore, so if you’re wondering where something is, it’s probably that I still really love it, but not that much. I do have a handful of honorable mentions, and some of these albums are ones that I used to really love, and while I may still love them, they didn’t make the cut. I did have one rule, however, when I made this list: only two albums per band / artist on the main list. That’s because I love multiple albums from a lot of these bands and artists, so I only limited myself to two albums from any artist, but the honorable mentions might have an album that didn’t make the cut. They aren’t in any order, either, but let’s start with the honorable mentions, starting with…

Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill

A lot of the albums on the entire list mean something to me, whether it’s the first album in a genre I discovered, or an album that I have a lot of nostalgia for, and Beastie Boys’ debut, Licensed To Ill is one of those, for sure. This is one of the first hip-hop albums I listened to, at least a few years after dipping my toes into the genre, and Beastie Boys blew my mind with their brand of hip-hop meets metal and punk, especially with Slayer’s Kerry King having a guest spot on their debut. Truthfully, their later albums are better, but I have a soft spot for their debut, because it’s so much fun and scrappy. For one of the first rap albums I ever listened to, I love it.

Childish Gambino - Because The Internet

Speaking of hip-hop, I don’t want to spoil too much of what you’ll see later, but Childish Gambino (otherwise known as Donald Glover) is the first rapper I ever listened to. I have another album of his on the list, but his sophomore album (not counting mixtapes), 2013’s Because The Internet, is a fun and experimental romp through hip-hop, R&B, pop, psychedelic, and electronic music. It’s got some of my favorite songs of his, but it’s also a really interesting and unique album that still doesn’t quite sound like anything I’ve ever heard.

Van Halen - S/T

Hard-rock band Van Halen is one of my favorite bands, and their 1978 self-titled debut is one of the best hard-rock albums ever made. This is the album that introduced people to both David Lee Roth, and Eddie Van Halen (may he rest in power). This isn’t anything necessarily unique, but it’s one hell of a record with some great riffs, solos, and hooks.

Black Sabbath - Paranoid

Arguably the first metal band, Black Sabbath’s debut album, 1970’s Paranoid, is also considered to be the first true heavy metal album, and it rules. It’s got a couple of their most beloved and well known songs, but it’s the album that first showcased heavy metal as its own sound, versus being bluesy hard-rock. This album was one of the first traditional heavy metal album albums that I listened to, and showed me that a lot of classic metal albums have merit to them.

Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue

I’ve become a jazz fan over the last few years, at least more than I used to be, and one of my favorite jazz records, as well as the first jazz record I ever listened to, is Miles Davis’ magnum opus, 1959’s Kind Of Blue. This is such a dynamic and interesting little jazz album that took the genre into new and unexplored territories, especially with Miles Davis already being an influential band leader by that point.

Dio - Holy Diver

Along with Black Sabbath’s Paranoid, Dio’s - 1983 debut album, Holy Diver, is one of my favorite traditional heavy metal albums that got me into that style. Dio, the band, is made up of the 1980 - 1982 lineup of Black Sabbath, sans Tony Iommi, but one could also argue that Holy Diver was an influence on power metal. Ronnie James Dio isn’t only one of the best and most expressive metal vocalists, his sense of lyricism was more based on Lord Of The Rings and fantasy, versus the typical cliches of rock and metal at the time. This album is really catchy, fun, anthemic, and larger than life, but that was Dio in a nutshell.

Metallica - Ride The Lightning

Ah, Metallica, you know they’d be here, but this is one of the exceptions to my “two album rule,” as I have three albums from this legendary and iconic band on the list, although only two on the actual list, so I kept one here. That album is 1984’s Ride The Lightning. This is their second album, where they honed their sound a bit, but this isn’t the first album from them I listened to, nor is it quite my favorite, although this album is legendary, and for good reason.

The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

A decade ago, The Beatles were easily my favorite band. I went through a whole couple of years where they were all I listened to, and truth be told, 1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, is still a great album, and it’s one of my favorites, but I haven’t gone back to it as much in recent years. Maybe I’m just burnt out on them, or my taste has changed, but this isn’t quite my all time favorite. I still love this album, and it’s a wonderful rock album, being a monumental album both for the genre and for its time.

Fleetwood Mac - Rumours

Arguably the best pop / pop-rock album of all time, you know Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 masterpiece Rumours had to be here. This album is a lightning in a bottle kind of album that could only have been made under the right set of circumstances. If just one small thing was off, who knows what this album would have sounded like? This is the best example of a breakup album that’s written by both parties of the breakup, let alone writing songs about each other and singing on each others’ songs. Talk about awkward, but that awkwardness makes for some of the best music ever made.

Spiritbox - Eternal Blue

This is the most recent album on my list, but I’ve gone on record as saying that Spiritbox’s debut album, 2021’s Eternal Blue, is one of my new all time favorite albums. It was my favorite album of 2021, and it’s one of the best albums of the 2020s so far. This band mixes alt-metal, djent, metalcore, progressive metal, and even pop and electronic sounds to make for a very fun, catchy, accessible, and palatable sound that is only getting better, especially with their newest EP from last year.

Okay, it’s time for my top 20 favorite albums of all time, so here we go!

20: Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience

One of my all time favorite solo artists is pop and R&B singer Justin Timberlake, and I’ll go into more detail later, but his 2013 comeback album, The 20/20 Experience, is one of my favorite pop and R&B albums. I’m gonna cheat and just point you to the direction of the ten-year retrospective I wrote last year, because I go into a lot more detail than I could here.

19: Paramore - Riot

A huge congratulations is needed for Paramore in their Grammy wins last week, but the first album from them I ever heard is 2007’s Riot, and it’s also one of my favorite albums from the MySpace / scene era. It’s held up surprisingly well, but it’s such a catchy, energetic, and rambunctious pop-punk album that only began to show how talented that band really was (and frankly still is).

18: Bruce Springsteen - Born In The USA

You can’t have an all time favorite albums list without The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen. At least my list, anyway, because I love me some Springsteen, but my favorite Springsteen album will always be 1984’s Born In The USA. Something about his gruff vocals paired with shimmering and catchy pop-tinged instrumentation is so good, but some of these songs are among his most iconic.

17: Sam Cooke - The Best Of Sam Cooke

I’ve come to love a lot of music from the 1940s and 1950s, and Sam Cooke is my favorite singer of that era, especially with his 1962 greatest hits album. I first listened to Sam Cooke in the movie Hitch, and it took me a long time to figure out who it was, but I absolutely love his work. His voice is among the best of all time, and that greatest hits is such a short but sweet collection of the best of the best.

16: Judas Priest - Screaming For vengeance

Judas Priest is among my favorite bands, and their 1982 album, Screaming For Vengeance, is the first album I ever listened to from them back maybe a decade ago. This is where the band went from a bluesy hard-rock / metal sound to a faster and more energetic sound, more akin to speed metal from that era, but that’s not to say that their earlier material isn’t good, either. Screaming For Vengeance is one of my favorite Priest albums, and for a long, it was my favorite of their albums, at least until I heard another one (which we’ll talk about soon enough).

15: The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten

Handwritten, the 2012 album from The Gaslight Anthem, is one of my favorite rock albums, but this wasn’t the first album I listened to from them. That would be 2010’s American Slang, and while I enjoyed that album a lot, their foray into classic rock with Handwritten, just resonated a lot more. Brian Fallon and company sound great on this album, and it’s still my favorite album from these guys. Despite releasing one more album in 2014 before going on hiatus until releasing a comeback album last year, which was ultimately disappointing, nothing tops this album for me.

14: U2 - The Best Of 1980 - 1990

Like with Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience, I’m going to cheat a bit by saying check out my piece on U2, and how I’ve grown to love this band, but their first greatest hits album is an utterly killer album. Out of everything here, this is the most “recent�� discovery I’ve made, but I truly do love U2, and this greatest hits album.

13: Metallica - The Black Album

Oh yeah, The Black Album, now we’re talking. I absolutely love this record. Metallica’s most accessible album, and depending on who you talk to, it’s either one of their best or worst albums, but this is where the band really honed in on their penchant for good hooks. This is their catchiest album, but it’s still heavy. Some of these riffs are downright nasty, and it features some of their best solos to date.

12: Fall Out Boy - Folie A Deux

It’s no secret Fall Out Boy is my favorite band, so it would make sense that 2008’s Folie A Deux is one of my favorite albums of all time. This is their catchiest and most accessible, but like with The Black Album, it has some of their best hooks and also some of my favorite Fall Out Boy lyrics. This album deals a lot with their newfound time after their last album came out, and it’s got a lot of biting social satire and commentary, but it’s also just a damn good time.

11: Judas Priest - Painkiller

Judas Priest became a full blown speed metal / thrash metal band in 1990 with Painkiller, and this was their last album Rob Halford until the 00s, but this is a monster of a record. It’s the best Judas Priest album by far, and easily my favorite, but for good reason. Sometimes all you need is a kickass album, and that’s what this is.

10: Guns ‘N Roses - Appetite For Destruction

Top ten time, and first up, is Guns ‘N Roses’ debut, 1987’s Appetite For Destruction, and this is another kickass album, but it rides the line between being hard rock and metal. You can call GNR a metal band, because this album leans very much into that territory, especially with how popular hair metal was at the time. Hair metal was at its prime in 1987, and this album is among the best of that sound, or at least, very close to it. Axl Rose and Slash are one of the best duos in hard rock and metal for good reason.

9: AC/DC - Back In Black

In the beginning of the same decade, AC/DC released the massive Back In Black, and this record is one of the first hard rock albums I ever heard, as well as “classic rock,” and this album will always have a place in my heart. I don’t listen to this album much anymore, because I’ve already played it a thousand times, but every time I dust this album off, so to speak, I think to when I was 12 or 13, listening to this album for the first time.

8: Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast

You know I had to put some Iron Maiden here, and of course, I went with 1982’s The Number Of The Beast. This is the quintessential Iron Maiden album, as well as a quintessential heavy metal album (especially from the 1980s). I feel like a lot has been said about this album already, and I’ve talked about it a lot over the years, so I don’t need to say much else other than this album rules.

7: Justin Timberlake - FutureSex / LoveSounds

Justin Timberlake is back, folks, and this time with 2006’s FutureSex / LoveSounds. This was one of the first pop albums I ever listened to, especially after randomly picking it up at FYE one day back in 2012. I was wanting to get out of my comfort zone, and I had always heard great thing about this album, all of which are founded in truth. This record is one of the best pop albums I’ve ever heard, and there’s only one that surpasses it, but we’ll talk about that in a second. This is JT at the top of his game, whether it’s the production, the vocals, or even a lot of the lyrics, this is an iconic album for a reason.

6: Eagles - Their Greatest Hits / Vol 2

I’m a huge fan of the Eagles, and instead of putting their first greatest hits album from 1975, I decided to cheat and put both that and their 1980 second one. Both greatest hits albums have some of my favorite songs from them, but they feel like two halves of a whole. You can’t have one without the other, but if you want some great harmonies, lyricism, vocals, and just the whole package of a band that first started as a country / folk-rock band and turned into one of the highest selling and most influential arena-rock bands, you can’t go wrong with these albums.

5: Childish Gambino - Camp

Childish Gambino’s debut, 2011’s Camp is the first rap album I ever heard, and it’s also one of my all time favorite albums, even today. This record showed me that hip-hop could be emotional, interesting, introspective, and was more than what the mainstream perpetuated. I’ve come around on the genre tenfold, but back then, I was just getting into other styles of music, and I was a fan of Donald Glover already, thanks to Community, and this record blew my mind when I first heard it. I think it holds up quite well today, too, but I plan on writing a piece on this, so I’m gonna save a lot of my thoughts for that, but I love this record a lot.

4: Van Halen - 1984

Hell yeah, brother, 1984 by Van Halen. This is a great album, and it turns 40 this year, although I believed it just did, actually. I talked about their self-titled debut earlier, but their 1984 LP of the same name is my favorite album of theirs. Songs like “Jump, “Top Jimmy,” and “Hot For Teacher” are god tier 80s rock and metal songs. This album is also really awesome for featuring synth, especially at a time when synths were becoming more popular, but not for rock music. Van Halen made it work, and 1984 is one of the best albums of all time.

3: Metallica - Master Of Puppets

A couple of years ago, I made a list ranking the first five Metallica albums, and I put 1983’s Kill ‘Em All as my number one, but I’d like to change my ranking a bit here, and put 1986’s Master Of Puppets as my number one, although I do still love their debut, and I go back to it quite a bit, it’s not their best album, or even my personal favorite anymore, but Master Of Puppets isn’t only my favorite Metallica album, it’s also the first album from these guys I listened to. I guess you could say this was the first thrash album I listened to, but metal in general doesn’t get any better than Master Of Puppets.

2: Fall Out Boy - Infinity On High

You know, I’ve said for the longest time that my favorite album of all time is Fall Out Boy’s Infinity On High, and I suppose you can say that the final (and top) two albums are interchangeable, but I’ve been thinking about what album is truly my number one. It depends on the day which one would really be my favorite, but with that said, these final two albums are two of the most influential albums on me personally. Fall Out Boy’s Infinity On High is the first album I ever got into, back when I was a wee lad, and only discovering music for the first time, so this album has a history with me. I just wrote extensively about this album on its anniversary a few days ago, so check that out for some more context on this album.

1: Michael Jackson - Thriller

Michael Jackson’s 1982 juggernaut Thriller is a GOATed album. Let’s not mince words here. I saw a clip of Donald Glover being interviewed by his costar from Mr. And Mrs. Smith about what album is considered the GOAT and he said Thriller. I’ve been thinking about that, and the more I keep saying to myself that’s true. This album is the first pop album I ever listened to, because I wanted to get out of my comfort zone of being into rock and metalcore, like I was at the time, so I remember seeing a copy of Thriller and I decided to grab it. Little did I know that album would blow my mind to smithereens, whether it was for its production or its vocals. I had only known Michael Jackson from the tabloids, especially before he passed, and didn’t understand how important and influential his music was, but knowing that history and context, this album is the highest selling album of all time for good reason.