I posted this song earlier in the year, but I felt it fitting as the last song I post this year, to make it my pick from 2012's releases.
This is a modern masterpiece and I'm not going to into why again, just refer back to my earlier post.
Give Ocean's album, Channel Orange, a listen if you haven't already.
And watch out for this album to clean up at the Grammys
Pyramids
Monday 31 December 2012
Sunday 30 December 2012
Daily Ghetto: Jay-Z - Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99)
This is a producer-rapper Allstar combo - Timbaland producing for Jay-Z.
So many supposed Jay-Z fans don't even know about this, quite possibly his best song.
This song has Jay-Z rapping rapid-fire style over that nasty syncopated beat, you'll rarely hear speed like this from Hove on his more recent albums, which is a shame. Most people have grown used to hearing a more relaxed flow from him.
If you have not delved into Jay-Z's back catalogue, then you need to check out the album this song comes from, Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life - it's one of his best.
Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99)
So many supposed Jay-Z fans don't even know about this, quite possibly his best song.
This song has Jay-Z rapping rapid-fire style over that nasty syncopated beat, you'll rarely hear speed like this from Hove on his more recent albums, which is a shame. Most people have grown used to hearing a more relaxed flow from him.
If you have not delved into Jay-Z's back catalogue, then you need to check out the album this song comes from, Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life - it's one of his best.
Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99)
Friday 28 December 2012
Daily Ghetto: Fam-Lay - Skrung Owt
Another Neptunes-produced song, this time from rapper Fam-Lay.
I have to say, this beat is so laid back, but so effective at matching perfectly with Fam-Lay's chilled out vocal delivery.
Unsurprisingly, this is another rap song about drugs, bitches and bling.
The video is shot to make it seem like the viewer is on a trip - along with the beat, it kind of works.
This is a good one to kick back to - enjoy.
Skrung Owt
I have to say, this beat is so laid back, but so effective at matching perfectly with Fam-Lay's chilled out vocal delivery.
Unsurprisingly, this is another rap song about drugs, bitches and bling.
The video is shot to make it seem like the viewer is on a trip - along with the beat, it kind of works.
This is a good one to kick back to - enjoy.
Skrung Owt
Thursday 27 December 2012
Daily Heavy: Times Of Grace - Live In Love
So I'm back from my two week blogging holiday - busy with work and Christmas.
I'm returning with one of my favourite songs from last year.
Times of Grace is a side project of Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz and singer Jesse Leach.
With Adam handling all the instruments, composition and production, and Jesse on vocals, they produced one of the best metal releases of last year.
Much more melodic than most of their Killswitch Engage material, Times Of Grace had so many songs with catchy choruses, killer riffs and well written lyrics.
This song is my pick from an outstanding album - that opening riff is so chunky sounding and groovy, and Jesse Leach's voice is showcased very well in this song, going from soaring and powerful cleans to emotive screams.
This album has really set the bar very high for the next Killswitch release - hopefully they can match it!
Live In Love
I'm returning with one of my favourite songs from last year.
Times of Grace is a side project of Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz and singer Jesse Leach.
With Adam handling all the instruments, composition and production, and Jesse on vocals, they produced one of the best metal releases of last year.
Much more melodic than most of their Killswitch Engage material, Times Of Grace had so many songs with catchy choruses, killer riffs and well written lyrics.
This song is my pick from an outstanding album - that opening riff is so chunky sounding and groovy, and Jesse Leach's voice is showcased very well in this song, going from soaring and powerful cleans to emotive screams.
This album has really set the bar very high for the next Killswitch release - hopefully they can match it!
Live In Love
Thursday 13 December 2012
Daily Heavy: The Saftey Fire - Huge Hammers
This excellent British prog-metal band put out one of my favorite albums of last year, Grind The Ocean, and this song just happens to be the highlight.
The riffing going on here in amazingly intricate. I love the way the song goes from very offbeat vocals and drumming into a standard rocky 4/4 that you can really groove to.
The melodic, clean guitars in the middle of the song make for a nice buildup to the epic ending.
The outro riffs are majestic - amazing syncopation of the guitars capped off by beautiful clean vocals.
Songs like this have to really be listened to a few times to fully appreciate what's going on.
If you like this I'd give the whole album a listen - top stuff!
Huge Hammers
The riffing going on here in amazingly intricate. I love the way the song goes from very offbeat vocals and drumming into a standard rocky 4/4 that you can really groove to.
The melodic, clean guitars in the middle of the song make for a nice buildup to the epic ending.
The outro riffs are majestic - amazing syncopation of the guitars capped off by beautiful clean vocals.
Songs like this have to really be listened to a few times to fully appreciate what's going on.
If you like this I'd give the whole album a listen - top stuff!
Huge Hammers
Wednesday 12 December 2012
Daily Heavy: Mudvayne - Not Falling
Mudvayne have consistently put out some of the best nu metal and alternative metal I've heard.
This song really showcases more progressive elements to Mudvayne's usual compositions.
For instance the first verse has a nice offbeat feel to the guitar and vocals as well as a supremely groovy bass line.
I love how mid-scooped guitarist Greg Tribbett's tone is, as well as how present Ryan Martinie's bass is.
Rock and metal bassists take note - Martinie is one of the best in the business - just listen to all the slapping and popping me manages to fit into the chorus behind that pounding guitar riff.
And then of course the vocals - Chad Grey has always managed to combine those insane screams with semi-dirty vocals so well and the two vocal styles are intertwined a lot in this song.
Mudvayne are really an essential band to listen to if you like Korn, Deftones or Slipknot.
There's something so visceral about this band's music - try listening to this song's chorus without wanting to headbang!
Not Falling
This song really showcases more progressive elements to Mudvayne's usual compositions.
For instance the first verse has a nice offbeat feel to the guitar and vocals as well as a supremely groovy bass line.
I love how mid-scooped guitarist Greg Tribbett's tone is, as well as how present Ryan Martinie's bass is.
Rock and metal bassists take note - Martinie is one of the best in the business - just listen to all the slapping and popping me manages to fit into the chorus behind that pounding guitar riff.
And then of course the vocals - Chad Grey has always managed to combine those insane screams with semi-dirty vocals so well and the two vocal styles are intertwined a lot in this song.
Mudvayne are really an essential band to listen to if you like Korn, Deftones or Slipknot.
There's something so visceral about this band's music - try listening to this song's chorus without wanting to headbang!
Not Falling
Tuesday 11 December 2012
Daily Ghetto: The Game - How We Do
Back when 50 Cent and The Game were friends, they put out this banger of a track.
That Dr. Dre produced beat just pounds your chest hard and the bars that 50 and The Game spit are just on point.
Onto the video - yes!
Tha cars, tha hos, tha drank - I love it when rappers go full gangsta for a video like this!
Dre blazin, Game blazin, spinning rims and women in cages - it is arrogant and chauvinistic and I love it!
Some of the lines are so ridiculously simple, but you know you just want to rap them back: "50, UH! Bentley, UH!"
Blast this song before you go out and it will get you crunk!
How We Do
That Dr. Dre produced beat just pounds your chest hard and the bars that 50 and The Game spit are just on point.
Onto the video - yes!
Tha cars, tha hos, tha drank - I love it when rappers go full gangsta for a video like this!
Dre blazin, Game blazin, spinning rims and women in cages - it is arrogant and chauvinistic and I love it!
Some of the lines are so ridiculously simple, but you know you just want to rap them back: "50, UH! Bentley, UH!"
Blast this song before you go out and it will get you crunk!
How We Do
Thursday 6 December 2012
Daily Heavy: Evanescence - Bring Me To Life
I normally dislike female lead vocals in rock music, but when it's Amy Lee singing it becomes another matter.
This stands out as the most successful song from Evanescence's 2003 album, Fallen, because it won a Grammy Award, but I urge you to listen to the whole of the album, because it is truly amazing.
This song has all the elements that make radio friendly - but ultimately good - rock music.
Great use of dynamics between the chorus and verses, hard hitting and straightforward chord progressions, wonderfully composed (just listen to the strings in the background from the second verse onwards) and a super catchy chorus.
I'm not the biggest fan of the video actually - very contrived; so many modern metal and rock bands have done people falling in slow motion and I'm tired of seeing it.
That said, the song remains one of Evanescence's best to date.
Bring Me To Life
This stands out as the most successful song from Evanescence's 2003 album, Fallen, because it won a Grammy Award, but I urge you to listen to the whole of the album, because it is truly amazing.
This song has all the elements that make radio friendly - but ultimately good - rock music.
Great use of dynamics between the chorus and verses, hard hitting and straightforward chord progressions, wonderfully composed (just listen to the strings in the background from the second verse onwards) and a super catchy chorus.
I'm not the biggest fan of the video actually - very contrived; so many modern metal and rock bands have done people falling in slow motion and I'm tired of seeing it.
That said, the song remains one of Evanescence's best to date.
Bring Me To Life
Tuesday 4 December 2012
Daily Ghetto: Waka Flocka Flame - Hard In Da Paint
BRICKSQUAAAAAAAAAD!
Now that I've got that out of the way, I am finally posting a Waka Flocka song - and not just any song - tha muthafuckin anthem, Hard In Da Paint.
This beat hits so damn hard and gets me so pumped up. This is my gym hype song, my predrink hype song, my I'm about to go to a club and get crunk song. I'm sorry Lil Jon, but Waka Flocka's got hype songs on smash.
This song makes me want to hit up an Atlanta club and go frickin nuts when the DJ spins this banger.
Why on earth UK DJs have failed to pick up on what should be the song to replace Get Low by Lil Jon, is beyond me.
This is the song you need to listen to when you need to get hyped up for anything - I guarantee you.
Job interview - listen to this before and you'll smash it.
First date - listen to this before and you will have her inviting you back home.
Exam - pump this before you go in and then afterwards after you've murked it.
Seriously guys, forget "Carpe Diem", my life motto is "I go hard in tha muthafukin paint!".
Hard In Da Paint
Now that I've got that out of the way, I am finally posting a Waka Flocka song - and not just any song - tha muthafuckin anthem, Hard In Da Paint.
This beat hits so damn hard and gets me so pumped up. This is my gym hype song, my predrink hype song, my I'm about to go to a club and get crunk song. I'm sorry Lil Jon, but Waka Flocka's got hype songs on smash.
This song makes me want to hit up an Atlanta club and go frickin nuts when the DJ spins this banger.
Why on earth UK DJs have failed to pick up on what should be the song to replace Get Low by Lil Jon, is beyond me.
This is the song you need to listen to when you need to get hyped up for anything - I guarantee you.
Job interview - listen to this before and you'll smash it.
First date - listen to this before and you will have her inviting you back home.
Exam - pump this before you go in and then afterwards after you've murked it.
Seriously guys, forget "Carpe Diem", my life motto is "I go hard in tha muthafukin paint!".
Hard In Da Paint
Monday 3 December 2012
Daily Heavy: Despised Icon - MVP
Coming from their most recent album, Day Of Mourning, MVP is a blisteringly fast downtuned maelstrom of a song.
Everything about Despised Icon songs are tight and malevolent sounding. The drums sync perfectly with the palm muted guitars. Pay particular attention to the drums in this song - death metal drummers are notably fast and very precise - even with tempos above 200bpm - which for the most part, this song maintains.
The breakdown in this song is particularly long, and I like that, because the tempo downshift actually makes the whole piece sound a lot heavier - listen to the grinding bass in the background as well as the growled, guttural vocals.
All in all Day Of Mourning is one of my favorite modern death metal albums, and not only is this song worth a listen - so is the whole album.
MVP
Everything about Despised Icon songs are tight and malevolent sounding. The drums sync perfectly with the palm muted guitars. Pay particular attention to the drums in this song - death metal drummers are notably fast and very precise - even with tempos above 200bpm - which for the most part, this song maintains.
The breakdown in this song is particularly long, and I like that, because the tempo downshift actually makes the whole piece sound a lot heavier - listen to the grinding bass in the background as well as the growled, guttural vocals.
All in all Day Of Mourning is one of my favorite modern death metal albums, and not only is this song worth a listen - so is the whole album.
MVP
Saturday 1 December 2012
Daily Heavy: Periphery - Passenger
What started off as a song for Misha Mansoor's side project, Haunted Shores, was turned into a song for his main band, Periphery.
The opening riff was written by Misha's bandmate, Mark Holcomb, and it kicks all kinds of ass.
The syncopation on those full, lush chords give the intro such an amazing bounce and groove.
I love progressive metal like this - it intrigues the listener so much more than the copious amounts of metalcore and deathcore coming out these days.
Periphery have released two albums and one EP so far - all their material is pretty mind blowing stuff and if you like your metal and have an open mind, give this band a good listen.
Passenger
The opening riff was written by Misha's bandmate, Mark Holcomb, and it kicks all kinds of ass.
The syncopation on those full, lush chords give the intro such an amazing bounce and groove.
I love progressive metal like this - it intrigues the listener so much more than the copious amounts of metalcore and deathcore coming out these days.
Periphery have released two albums and one EP so far - all their material is pretty mind blowing stuff and if you like your metal and have an open mind, give this band a good listen.
Passenger
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