FUCK YEAH: A Playlist by Xan
I can’t imagine any fan of metal who hasn’t shuffled through their library to find that a song suddenly comes on that causes face-slamming-into-desk syndrome due to head banging. I’ve heard other people call this sensation the “FUCK YEAH” feeling and that works for me. Below, I have compiled a playlist of some of the songs that give me that feeling.
I think Sodom is the bee’s knees. I value their music much higher than almost any other thrash acts. They’ve released consistently good thrash metal for nearly 30 years. Agent Orange is my favorite album by them (though I haven’t listened to their newest release Epitome of Torture. Have you? Is it good?).
I don’t know very much about Blockheads because I only discovered them recently but what I do know is that it is some of the most intense grindcore I have ever had the pleasure to abuse my and ears to. “Doctrine of Assured Mutual Destruction” instills a desire in me to collect two battle axes and start roleplaying as the tornado from Twister. I’d recommend skipping to 29:54, if you want to hear my favorite song from the album.
Though I love Iron Maiden, most of their songs seem to blend together for me. The riff in “The Trooper” is so catchy I find myself humming it almost every day. Then I poorly sing along with Brucie D. as he majestically belts the chorus.
Autopsy, masters of grimy death metal that they are, know how to make a sinister tune that feels like you’re walking through the fetid decaying tombs of some ancient crypt-dwelling behemoth as it eyes you hungrily. “In the Grip of Winter” is a song about a man (or woman) who lights his (or her) legs on fire whilst trapped in a winter storm just to feel something in them. Every riff in this song oozes horrific grime and filth and makes me want to break things with my head.
Cattle Decapitation are like a fresh breath of putrid air. Travis Ryan has some of my favorite vocals in modern death metal. He does highs well, lows well, squeals well, and clean singing well. The band as a whole make some death metal that is generally disturbing to me; it takes a great deal of work to do such a thing. This particular song has me thrashing hardcore from beginning to end.
We’re slowing it down with one. Coconuts is a band I discovered while playing the video game Hotline Miami. After murdering hundreds of people, this amazing stoner riff came blasting forth and I immediately went to try to find out more about them to no avail. I cannot find any information on this band whatsoever. All I know is that that they have one album and this song possesses me with a desire to scream, “FUCK YES!”
“Swarm of Rats” is a song that will instantly wake me up if I’m feeling sleepy. If has a kick-ass riff and great high and low vocals. The lyrics are your standard black metal fair with lines such as, “Jesus Christ, son of stench.” Mixing black metal with death metal, Belphegor achieve a bombastic blast of brutal blasphemy that makes my neck hurt the next day.
“Premonition of Pain” is one of the song I listen to if I want to get amped up quickly. This song is off of their excellent 2004 album Advance and Vanquish which is, in my opinion, a perfect album. No filler songs and Cam Pipe’s beautiful voice…yes please! I can’t help but sing along with this song, making sure to roll my Rs extra long when it hits, “Brrrrrick by brrrick!”
“Blinded by Fear” makes me go nuts. The opening riff could get the laziest dudes into a wild frenzied pit. With their new album tentatively coming out later this year, I hope that At the Gates have come up with some killer riffs for metalcore bands to rip off for the next fifteen years.
Twas a dark night in the woods of North Carolina that I was camping up in the mountains. Upon bedding down for the night, I equipped my headphones and hit shuffle on my mp3 player. I hadn’t listened to metal at all at this point in my life but I had just bought the first three Black Sabbath albums because I liked rock. After several Queen songs went by, an evil riff erupted. “Electric Funeral” was the first metal song I heard and to this day is still one of the most evil sounding guitar riffs I have had the pleasure of hearing. This song gives me concussions from the head banging.
Dat guitar tone. I love chainsaw guitars along the lines of Entombed. Revel in Flesh are a relatively unknown and pretty amazing death metal band from Germany. “Shadowbreeder” contains an undeniably catchy riff that gets stuck in my head for long periods of time. I frankly can’t attain any meaning from the lyrics (as is sadly the case in most death metal these days) but the amazing riffs and tone deliver a song that instills me with the “FUCK YEAH” feeling.
There are few things more metal than vikings and Norse mythology. Amon Amarth have based their entire career upon all things Odin. They’ve delivered solid releases the entirety of their career (though a little more variety would be nice). “Twilight of the Thunder Gods” is one my headbanging anthems. The catchy riffs and easy to memorize chorus make it perfect for chanting, drunk with blood lust at loud volumes.
Death, along with Possessed, are progenitors of death metal. Death is my favorite band so I saved them for last. “Pull the Plug” is one of the ultimate death metal songs. Evil tone, enough technicality to not sound like trash, brilliant structure, Chuck’s trademark vocals and guitar style, and a bad ass solo. This is the ultimate in “FUCK YEAH” songs for me.
The “FUCK YEAH” feeling will apply to everyone differently and thus some people will not get the feeling from my choices so feel free to share your “FUCK YEAH” songs. I always need more music to consume. In case you don’t want to click each song individually, I’ve taken the liberty of making a playlist:
