Posted on 09/03/2011 10:03:44 PM PDT by dagogo redux
With Labor Day coming up, I find myself again reflecting on the wisdom of our elected leaders, who, in years past, had the insight to offer a holy day of celebration in honor of the American Labor Movement and its Marxist underpinnings.
But that’s not all I found myself doing this fine weekend. No, I was on the road for an extended drive in my fairly new, reliable as hell, non-union-built Toyota Tacoma, which came equipped with Sirius Satellite Radio reception. Our single local “conservative talk” station, in typical lame fashion, had again bumped Rush’s Weekend in Review for some stupid ball game, so I was dialing through the Sirius options.
Then suddenly it happened.
Some backstory (I’ll make it mercifully brief, I hope). I grew up listening to my mother’s old 78s of classical music, and eventually studied such things formally, and have always been in love with such music. But, as a youngster I also grew up with the Rock & Roll of the 50s, the British Invasion of the 60’s and the whole sweep of the folk era. I loved it all.
Musical fads come and go, and some since then seemed more appealing to me than others, but, except for a fond affection for Bevis and Butthead, I never thought Heavy Metal would have enough appeal for me to even bother giving it a listen. I don’t think I ever actually heard a single recording of it. Until today.
It happened as I dialed to the Sirius Heavy Metal station in the opening moments of some song (never caught the name), and my LED display said “Holy Grail” was the name of the artist. The music was simply amazing, like nothing I had ever heard before. The ferocity of the energy and the ecstatic angst of the raw emotional turmoil battered my psyche into submission in a matter of seconds. But the musical bludgeoning then went on and on at this breakneck, unrelenting intensity for what seemed like hours, and when it finally did end, I found myself a convert to this new object of worship.
And to satisfy my longing for that hit of the Divine, an announcer said this was “Beyond the Throne”: an entire weekend devoted to the greatest drummers in the history of Heavy Metal. And then the music started again, another group, another song, but that same sublime, raw, heavenly energy going on and on. Glorious.
The next few hours of the trip home were beyond my ability to describe, or even to assimilate, or recall clearly. I had been born again in my musical tastes, washed clean with the pounding beat and strident riffs descending from a tortured Heaven. Hallelujah!
So why am I posting this Vanity on Free Republic, using up precious bandwidth when the Republic is going to hell in a hand basket, and the bandwidth of FR one of our few lifelines?
Just this. In the midst of the second hour of this dark, high-energy torrent, a stunning insight came to me with the force of a nuclear shock wave of Truth: A people who could conceive, create and enjoy this sort of maniacal musical maelstrom would be a people invincible in the event of an upcoming race war such as many believe we are headed for. A people merely capable of Rap, or whatever angry music the Hispanics listen to, would never be a match for people capable of the sort of controlled mayhem found in Heavy Metal.
I recall, I think, a poll where combat soldiers of our current wars were asked what music they liked to go into battle with, and I seem to recall some Heavy Metal songs among them. It made no sense to me back then, because I had never heard the stuff, but now I have. The perfect energy for facing death. The prefect energy for righteous, even celebratory killing.
My hat’s off to all you fellow FReepers who love this music, and of whom I would have thought lessor until today. I hope you guys are by my side when the SHTF. You guys rock!
Great minds don’t always think alike. :)
Many things went through my mind during those several hours, but yes, that was one of them, and one I found interesting. Sorry if you don’t.
Time to dig out the yngvei malmstein (I know spelling...) tapes
A Metal enthusiast is drinking on a Saturday night? Shouldn’t you be involved in some sort of pagan worship service? /Mega-SARC!
Yngwie!
It might be that on some level you’re responding to the fact that many metal writers and musicians are themselves classically trained. It shows in so many ways, once you embrace or at least accept the typically primal, raw nature of the sound, that intense, screaming energy. There are actually any number of orchestral arrangements of popular metal songs, the Russians are especially fond of doing so with Metallica. Along those lines, you might enjoy Apocalyptica.
The warlike strain that so struck you is particularly vivid with groups out of northern Europe, if lyrics sung in a language other than English doesn’t disturb you. Those old Viking genes welling up I suppose.
Neo-Classical Metal?
Fortunately, Yngvei Malmstein changed his name to Yngvei J. Malmstein. That helps us discern him from all the other Ynvei Malmsteins.
Well there’s always the Great Kat....
I have my Strat and MP3 player to worship.
Race war poster alert.
Check out “The Trooper” and “Sunlight And Steel” by Iron Maiden. Also “Screaming For Vengeance” and “Electric Eye” by Judas Priest. You won’t be sorry.
Check out Dream Theater. They are in transition now due to their drummer leaving but a solid band known for very heavy, complex sounds.
“A people who could conceive, create and enjoy this sort of maniacal musical maelstrom would be a people invincible in the event of an upcoming race war such as many believe we are headed for.”
race war?
People who believe themselves to be rational and who also seem to want to start shooting at a differing skin color drive me insane in seconds.
Welcome to the fold of Heavy Metal. Here is few for the road. Enjoy Glad you found Heavy Metal which will lead to blues, progressive, thrash, death, growling, Hair, boogie metal, and all types of hard rock. So enjoy a whole new world. Here is just a sample of some of the greats.
Black Sabbath - Iron Man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzYBoGuQTsI
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4dpFjSFYX4&feature=related
Judas Priest - You Got Another Thing Coming
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWhInhE6emE
Judas Priest - Hellbent For Leather
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45EJ1oYAqKw&feature=related
Metallica - Whiplash
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPh_9sRJycI
Metallica - Ride The Lighting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI8xrnOrftM&feature=related
Iron Maiden - Wrathchild
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orIEI2mgHXo
Iron Maiden - Where Eagles Dare
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8p9JpDuQ-o&feature=related
Diamond Head - Am I Evil
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJYCClXUkyE
Motorhead - Motorhead
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kExBc1pDR4E&feature=fvst
Motorhead - Overkill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlecTBevmzc
Budgie - Breadfan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3-l_T6AuNk&feature=related
Blue Oyster Cult - Hot Rails To Hell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdwYo74oxY8
Blue Oyster Cult - ME-262
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1rHbXbpWdg
The Godz - Gotta Keep On Runnin’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-t4hU3hhc8
Deep Purple - Smoke On The Water
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUwEIt9ez7M
Def Leppard - High-N-Dry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHZyoKCOD9A&feature=fvst
The Scorpions - Rock You Like a Hurricane
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI2COawqMJQ
Dio - Stand Up And Shout
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGj6Cj392Cc
Black Sabbath with Dio - Heaven and Hell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vviFIYC8ldY&feature=fvst
Led Zeppelin - Communicaton Breakdown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VhGVWU9Ep0
Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mln0RciE2o0
Alice Cooper - Devil’s Food/Black Widow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02aX9nGcV20
Alice Cooper - I’m Eighteen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXZcJojTucg
Alice Cooper - School’s Out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZTRnaiQ7Js&feature=fvst
Iced Earth - Decalration Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAWrlwzfFzk&feature=related
Iced Earth - When The Eagle Cries
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o6xrSyhVhc
Fu Manchu - Mongoose
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3bdZWrIMdM&feature=related
Fu Manchu - The Falcon Has Landed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UemrBH1AkY4
Rainbow - Stargazer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6W7jMURpGU
Rainbow - 16th Century Greensleeves
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KL3O-Vqr4E
Ted Nugent - Cat Scratch Fever
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaQFC0h91zQ
Ted Nugent - Free For All
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JUqpJeIUAE
Sammy Hagar - Heavy Metal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHt4eFd_2Co
Saxon - Wheels Of Steel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwKRyizwEKo
AC/DC - Walk All Over You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkpLONtRjn4
AC/DC - Rock-n-Roll Damnation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNtFAeOBdX4
AC/DC - Whole Lotta Rosie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsFIftPcvIs
Starz - Boys In Action
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjNqqzKFw5s
Blue Oyster Cult - Heavy Metal & The Black and Silver
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdcbBRIgeC0
Stone Temple Pilots - Vasoline
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL2M0OSKruA
Alice In Chains - Rooster
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfkU4Moee84
Pearl Jam - Alive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGiTPgvKktM
Shinedown - Sound of Mandness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGt-8adyabk&ob=av2e
The Four Horsemen - Back In Business Again
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKv_YYzdI2w&feature=related
The Four Horsemen - Nobody Said It was Easy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcveGZv799w&feature=related
Orange Goblin - Time Traveling Blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C2hgivqwJ8
Orange Goblin - Solarisphere
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kDJbSj6hq4
Kyuss - Supa Scoopa and the Mighty Scoop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_t2gE1EsKU
Kyuss - 100 Degrees
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lnfyMGBi6w&feature=related
Nazareth - Hair of the Dog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyXz6eMCj2k
Foghat - Slowride
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVWN1En0IRY&feature=related
Foghat - I Just Want to Make Love to You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHYU9LiRB-g
Captain Beyond - Raging River of Fear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD53nlnUSKQ
Captain Beyond - Mesmerization Eclipse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_05ZLGOCG_8&feature=related
Wolfmother - Woman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzqTz_i1NXQ
Wolfmother - White Unicorn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVJYY5-s1Pw
AC/DC - It’s A Long Way To The Top If You Want To Rock-n-Roll
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAIzTobLZAk
Bachman Turner Overdrive - Sledgehammer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTzRFLZnRQU
Bachman Turner Overdrive - Not Fragile
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT3nlTApV8Y
Rush - Working Man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EheavdfXjeg
Rush - What Your’re Doing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Dn8VH30eWs
Rush - 2112
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQEgZNqa8jE
Judas Priest - Living After Midnight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXCpwtPhOLQ&ob=av2n
Enjoy all
Try some new metal, google Dead Earth Politics has just released their first full album Weight of Poseidon. Give it a listen.
Awesome. Welcome to my church. I’ve been a diehard member since I was nine years old, been too at hundreds (if not at least a thousand) concerts, and life my life with rock n roll in my blood. Its a great way to be.
I highly recommend you watch last years movie “Lemmy”, as Motörhead are the anchor of the heavy metal genre.
Enjoy your new-found freedom, and let rockin’ FReepers know if you have any questions. You are now on a never ending lifetime journey.
BTW: what did you listen to before? It’s OK to enjoy other styles of music, especially blues, jazz classical and jazz.
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