Daily Heavy: Bring Me The Horizon - Can You Feel My Heart

I've been out of the blogging game for ages; running your own business leaves you little time to do anything else.

So why has a song by a band that for the longest time I didn't care much for brought me out of hibernation?

Simply because it is catchy.

To my ears Bring Me The Horizons' back catalogue is just metalcore-by-numbers, which has been aped by many UK bands since *cough*Asking Alexandria*cough*.

But oddly enough for me, I caught the tail end of this song on Kerrang! radio (usually the last place that plays music that I enjoy!), whilst driving around earlier this morning.

That electronic riff / alteration on the vocal line for the chorus is so catchy, and clearly radio friendly.

The lyrics to this song are your typical UK-metalcore, quasi-emotional bullcrap, that I've become tired of hearing after listening to Matt Tuck of Bullet For My Valentine use this writing style since Hand Of Blood dropped in 2005.

You would think these UK metalcore frontmen would come up with something new; but I digress.

I've given the rest of the album this song comes from, Sempiternal, a listen, and it is the usual - breakdown heavy, boring guitar riffs, strained vocals - so typical of this scene.

BMTH kind of messed up by opening the album with this, in my opinion, its strongest offering.

The video: hair-flicking, headbanging and a guy getting a piece of metal removed from his body; that's it.

Daily Smooth: Taio Cruz - I Just Wanna Know

To me Taio Cruz is the UK's answer to Ne-Yo.

He started off as a songwriter and then eventually came to the forefront by performing his own music.

This song was his debut single and launched him into the UK R&B scene's spotlight.

As you would imagine this is a well thought out and well composed song.

Cruz's vocals aren't the strongest, but the production here is slick and the lyrics work nicely with the beat.

It is clear that this is a break-up song. I don't imagine Cruz writes from personal experience, although I might be wrong, I just find that songwriters that write for other artists tend to write to make a hit, without basing the lyrics on anything personal to them.

This song covers a very generic lyrical theme, but Cruz might have saved his personal stuff for his own material.

Either way this song sits nicely as a part of Cruz's fantastic debut album, Departure, which was released in 2008.

Daily Ghetto: Dizzee Rascal - H-Town

So Dizzee Rascal has finally made the move many grime and UK hip-hop acts have made already - getting American rappers to feature on their songs to make them relevant to the US audience as well as making their songs more club-friendly.

Trae the Truth and Bun B guest on this - bringing that Southern Rap flow and signature sound.

Their verses fit the beat well and don't jar against Dizzee Rascal's verses earlier in the song, which can often happen in trans-Atlantic collaborations like this.

For me, the mark of a good MC is hearing what he can do over quite a simple beat - and Dizzee shows his worth in this area.

His flow is allowed to breathe, because while this song's beat is good, it is incredibly stripped back and would be dull if it wasn't for the varied delivery of all three rappers - Dizzee in particular.

I'm looking forward to hearing all of The Fifth, Dizzee Rascal's upcoming album, because this track has set the tone and hopefully we aren't subjected to the Ibiza party anthems that plagued his last album, this time around.

Daily Ghetto: Gucci Mane ft. Rick Ross - Trap House 3

I haven't blogged in exactly a month because I have a business to run - I'm a busy man!

But this absolute joke of a rap song brought me out of my blogging hiatus.

This is everything that is wrong with modern rap.

And I mean everything - the weak-assed beat, Gucci Mane rapping about his money (big surprise there), how he's going to get it and how he's holed up in his trap house.

And then it doesn't get any better when that fatass Rick Ross decides to take that stupid thing off his head stop throwing money around and start dropping some bars - weak bars at that!

Even the video is boring - seriously - Gucci pulls up in a Rolls Royce Phantom, or Ghost, whatever, I've seen that car make an appearance in every rap video since 2006, some white chick that looks bored is mooching around, everyone is wearing ice and counting money and then we get the displeasure of seeing Rick Ross' fat rolls jiggle all over the place. Some gunmen come to the house with assault rifles and Gucci gets his gun ready to shoot back, that's it.

I don't like to cuss on this blog, but let me state this clearly - Gucci Mane is shit and this song is the biggest pile of crap I've heard this year by a long shot!

Daiy Heavy: As Blood Runs Black - In Dying Days

This song comes from metalcore band, As Blood Runs Black, debut album, Allegiance, which came out in 2006.

I was first alerted to this song by a then-popular youtube aired music show - FPE TV - which used to showcase little known metal artists' songs, gear, or often just have extended interviews with the bands.

The then-guitarists and current bassist just ripped into this melodic but brutal onslaught, without even a click track, and this impressed me and I've been a fan of the band ever since.

The band's overall guitar and bass tone is heavily distorted and bright, but this serves well to cut through the heavy drumming and often low pitched grunts that come from the vocalist.

This song combines three main riffs with some variations on each riff, but the star here is the breakdown.

I can't imagine how insane the pit at an As Blood Runs Black show would be when the breakdown of this song kicks in.

I mean seriously: "BRING DA MUTHAFUCKIN RUCKUS!!!!!"

Daily Ghetto: Maybach Music Group - Ima Boss

Hard beat - check
Meek Mill and Rick Ross on the track - check
Ghetto-assed video - check

What more could you want from an MMG track? - this has it all
It's become one of Meek Mill's biggest songs and a club banger in its own right.
Listening to this makes you feel like a BAWZ - there is nothing like pumping this in your car, with the windows down.

I love how the video starts with a phone conversation between Ross and Meek, and Ross dropping line like "Finna come thru like a bawz" and then cuts to Meek in the most ghetto area of Philadelphia, with all the hood standards in sight - all of Meek's crew on motorbikes, Rick Ross on a quadbike, gold chains and the rapper's car of choice - a Rolls Royce Phantom (in ice white nonetheless).

Meek spits bars about the bitches he's banged, the cars he drives and the record sales he makes, and the Ross comes in with a second verse with some clever (for his standards anyway) lyrics:

"Shorty rode me smooth as my Mercedes ride" as well of lots of his signature "uhh" grunt sounds.

Then Meek finishes the song off by barking out his last verse.

This is probably the biggest song on MMG's debut album: Maybach Music Group Presents: Self Made Vol. 1 which is a solid compilation release.

Daily Heavy: Waka Flocka Flame - Hard In Da Paint ((Bellizio Remix) Crizzly Edit)

So this is a repost of sorts - I posted the original version of Hard In Da Paint a while back, but this remix kicks into another gear.

Producers Crizzly and Bellizio made a club banger into a bass boosted, synth heavy dubstep mashup.

The beat of the original is what the remix focuses on, with minimal use of Waka Flocka's original vocals.

Somehow this manages to get me even more pumped up than the original.

All that's left to say is "I GO HARD IN THA MUTHAFUCKIN PAINT!!!"

Daily Heavy: Coheed and Cambria - The Running Free

Coheed and Cambria are a band I discovered only a few years ago whilst they were supporting Deftones.

The word was that Deftones' guitarists Stef Carpenter absolutely loved the band and picked them out as a support act. And I'm telling you, they kicked just as much ass as the Deftones did that evening.

This song comes from their fantastic 2007 album Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow.

It starts with a catchy guitar riff over some synthesized sounds. The verses have an amazing interplay between the guitar riff and bass riff, and vocalist Claudio Sanchez really shines here.

The choruses are more of a straightforward rock affair, but the lead guitar comes in at this point, to great effect.

Coheed and Cambria are one of the best modern rock bands at the moment, I'd urge any rock fans to check out their back catalogue. 

Daily Ghetto: Vybz Kartel - Clarks

Jamaican people love Clarks shoes (long-story short - it is a ex-colonial thing where they buy English things they can't get in Jamaica).

They love Clarks shoes so much that Vybz Kartel had to write a song about them.

The beat is hard, Vybz Kartel and Popcaan drop some bars and this leads to the sort of song that gets those ghetto-assed parties going.

The video is something else - expect gratuitous shots of people's shoes and some girl cleaning her shoes.. with a toothbrush.

Anybody who isn't Jamaican / does not understand Jamaican patois, might have a hard time with this song - but you'll catch on soon enough; this song only has one topic and it's quite obvious by now what it is.

Daily Heavy: As I Lay Dying - Through Struggle

This has become As I Lay Dying's signature song, and for good reason.

It kicks off with a tasty, bouncy guitar riff, which gets any crowd pumped - when I saw them live the floor was moving from the whole crowd headbanging.

The drumming in this song is authoritative - Jordan Mancino is one of the most consistent metal drummers and he really owns this song.

Vocalist Tim Lambesis, growls out his lyrics over the sublime melodic guitar riffs during the verses.

The song quickly reaches a semi-breakdown of sorts and then moves onto a softer passage with clean vocals, which then exchanges with the heavy part from earlier. The use of dynamics makes this song stand out as well as the pedal-tone guitar riffs playing on a theme.

The final breakdown/outro of the song is so brutal. The tempo drops a bit and the full force of the chugging guitars and bass hit you.

The video - well the synchronised headbanging that so many metalcore bands use when playing live was definitely in vogue when this video was shot. As I Lay Dying still do it to this day, but I'm fairly sure they were one of the first to make it a feature of their sets.

Daily Smooth: New Edition - If It Isn't Love

Here's another New Edition classic, from their platinum album, Heart Break.

Ralph Tresvant sings lead on this one.

The beat is so 80s - all the typical new jack swing components are in place - synths, heavy use of a drum machine and lots of layering.

I love the video to this song for some reason - no boybands bother to learn choreography like this anymore.

Daily Heavy: Parkway Drive - Boneyards

Coming from Parkway Drive's second album - the outstanding Horizons - this song is an intense blend of blast beats and some rapid riffing.

The combination of the low hardcore grunts, down tuned guitars and perfectly locked in drum and bass, give this song such impact.

Killswitch Engage guitarist, Adam D, produced this album and his signature production style is clear to hear; the guitar tone and even riff style sounds so much like Killswitch it is uncanny.

The pedal-tone riffs in the song's verses sound like they have been lifted from Killswitch's seminal album, Alive Or Just Breathing. This is no bad thing though - Parkway's vocalist gives them enough individuality to stand out from the metalcore crowd.

Daily Ghetto: Kanye West, Jamie Foxx and Twista - Slow Jamz

I haven't dropped a really massive ghetto tune in a while, so I thought it was time to pull out a big gun from Kanye's legendary debut album, The College Dropout.

This song blends Foxx's soulful voice and Kanye's relaxed flow over an amazing beat. Kanye produced this song, and really I feel that his best work comes in this capacity rather than as a rapper - don't get me wrong he is a great rapper, but an outstanding producer; I can't think of a weak Kanye beat!

Jamie Foxx adds a nice touch to the bridge section of this song as he name-checks some classic artists, and then Twista comes in.

What can I say about Twista - for a while he was recognized as the fastest rapper of all time, and although since surpassed in speed, there are very few rappers who combine his speed, flow and clever lyricism. The bars he drops in this song have become what everyone looks forward to hearing when this song comes on.

I cannot stress how good The College Dropout is - this is one of many top flight songs on that album. This song also features on Twista's Kamikaze, which is a showcase of his superior rapping ability over some nasty beats.

Daily Heavy: The Offspring - All I Want

As with most Offspring songs, this song is short but sweet.

A simple chord progression and up-tempo drumming pushes this song along.

The signature vocal harmonies come in during the choruses.

I was reminded of this song from a childhood spent playing Crazy Taxi on my mate's Sega Dreamcast - ah those were the days.

Daily Ghetto: Dorrough - Piece and Chain Swangin

My first Dorrough post was very well received so here's another banger from his debut album, Dorrough Music. 

This song has a synth heavy beat and Dorrough raps about his jewellery and his diamonds - gotta love basic rappers like this guy!

There's a rather boring verse from Slim Thug towards the end of the song, but Dorrough saves the song with a sick last verse.

There's auto-tune a plenty here in the backing vocals, and all this adds up to this song being a massive club banger.

Daily Heavy: Lamb Of God - Hourglass

Lamb Of God are one of the few modern metal bands that really sound unique.

The combination of midrange heavy guitars that aren't overly saturated, having a very diverse and distinctive drummer and a lead singer who does the "halfway between screaming and singing" so well, gives Lamb Of God the edge over many of their contemporaries.

The only band that sounds anything like them are the legendary Pantera.

Hourglass comes from their seminal album, Ashes Of The Wake. It showcases some tight but groovy riffing from the superb guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler as well as the feral drumming of Chris Adler.

Vocalist Randy Blythe growls in this song, showing off with some wild screams.

For me, the bridge section of this song is outstanding; the harmonized guitar riff requires such skill play and to sync up when recording, and exemplifies how great of a duo Morton and Adler are.

Ashes Of The Wake has to be one of the best metal albums since Pantera's Cowboys From Hell.

From the production, to the guitar tone, to the insane drumming, it is relentless and heavy.

Daily Smooth: Frank Ocean - Swim Good

This is the first Frank Ocean song I heard and it instantly got me hooked to his work.

It comes from his first major release, the mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra. 

It combines heavy bass and drums with a synth organ to great effect during the verses, while the instrumentation gets embellished with some keys during the choruses.

Ocean delivers his lines in a chilled out style for the most part, but pushes the boat out in the bridge and final chorus.

There is something so relaxing about Ocean's songs in general and I'd urge anyone who likes contemporary R&B to check out Nostalgia, Ultra as well as his stunning debut album, channel Orange.

Daily Heavy: In Flames - I'm The Highway

In Flames are one of my favorite metal bands.

I love melodic death metal, and along with At The Gates, In Flames produce some of the best work of this genre.

This song comes from their 2008 album, A Sense Of Purpose, and is one of the catchier tunes on it.

It kicks off with some nicely harmonized guitars before the full band comes in.

The verse riffs are fairly simple but effective and the chorus riffs get a nice kick from some rapid drumming in the background.

The bridge section has a nice heavy guitar riff behind it, and the solos are melodic and very tasteful - they drop into the song very seamlessly.

Vocalist Anders Fridén barks out his lyrics, which adds a nice percussive attack over the fairly groovy and bouncy guitar riffs.

Daily Heavy: The Faceless - Deconsecrate

Through all my guitar nerdiness I had heard of renowned shredder Michael Keene and how his band The Faceless were amazing, but I hadn't bothered to check out the band until very recently.

I'm glad that I stopped watching Michael Keene tearing it up at product demos at NAMM and actually watched a video by The Faceless.

This is some high level technical death metal; after the lengthy circus music-themed intro, the song breaks down into some ferocious riffing, blast beats and guttural vocals.

The musicianship in this band is at a very high level - some of the guitar work here is incredibly hard to pull off at these sorts of tempos. Bassist Evan Brewer is a somewhat of a modern age bass master - not only does he keep up with the guitarists in this band - he has a solo album that is written and played with just his bass and some effects pedals, which is a masterpiece in my opinion.

And then there's the drumming - to keep time at this speed and lock in so tightly with two highly skilled guitarists (Michael Keene and Wes Hauch are top notch shredders), is very impressive.

This song demonstrates the wide range of techniques in both the vocals (Keene handles clean singing, whilst lead singer Geoffrey Ficco brings the brutality), and instrumentation (Keene and Hauch show their worth in the solo section of this song).

The blend of synth organs, strings and Keene's vocals in the quieter passages give the faster and more brutal parts such an impact.

The album this comes from, Autotheism, is excellent.

Daily Ghetto: Rick Ross - Hustlin'

"Who the fuck you think you fuckin with I'm the fuckin bawz!!!"

What a way to open a song.

Rick Ross' most famous song, from his debut album Port Of Miami, is a straight up club banger.

Ross delivers his lines in that slow deliberate style that he has become known for, and the beat is very minimalistic, but I feel that it gives more of an impact to Ross' bars.

This song is one massive drug-reference; the official video says it all.

That said I've posted the explicit version below, because I find it silly to censor a song like this.

Daily Smooth: Bone Thugs-n-Harmony - Tha Crossroads

As far as best rap groups of all time go Bone Thugs are up there with legends like Run-D.M.C., N.W.A. and Public Enemy.

This is Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's biggest song, and also their most distinctive. If you listen to the album it comes from - the masterpiece that is E. 1999 Eternal - it sounds very different to the rest of the material. The beat is soft and a medium tempo and there is a classic catchy chorus.

Bone's signature smooth, but rapid flow is ever-present and this contrasts so nicely against the beat.

Very few rappers can match the pace of Bone Thugs - especially Krayzie Bone.

This song is dedicated to Bone Thugs' mentor and manager of sorts, Eazy-E.

I think it is fitting that such a legendary rapper has such an amazing song written for him.

Daily Ghetto: Big Boi (ft. T.I. and Ludacris) - In The A

Big Boi, T.I. and Ludacris - to me that is Southern rap royalty right there!

Big Boi samples his own song - Shutterbug from his debut solo album Sir Lucious Left Foot The Son Of Chico Dusty - to great effect.

This song is slower and the beat has a chopped and screwed feel to it - altogether it sounds heavier and more menacing.

T.I. drops some clever bars with such a sick flow then Big Boi comes in with a second verse that shows of all his witty lines and clear punchy delivery.

Ludacris finishes the song off nicely and arguably Atlanta's three biggest rappers come together to produce one of the strongest tracks from Big Boi's second album Vicious Lies And Dangerous Rumors.

The album might get overlooked because everybody is waiting for the next full OutKast album, but my word, Big Boi's solo stuff is some of the best Southern rap being put out at the moment.

Daily Heavy: Children Of Bodom - In Your Face

Children Of Bodom are one of the best modern melodic death metal bands around.

The level of skill that the band possess is high - guitarists Alexi Laiho and Roope Latvala are two of the best shredders on the planet at the moment.

This song comes from their 2005 album Are You Dead Yet? 

It starts with a thumping guitar and bass riff which continues all the way through the intro as the drums and keys layer over it. I'm not too fond of Alexi's voice, but just listen to the instrumentation in this song to fully appreciate what Children Of Bodom are about.

The riffs incorporate advanced guitar techniques such as sweep picking and whammy divebombs and harmonics.

The solo section of this song is stunning - Alexi and Roope rip through their solos and then we hear a power metal styled keyboard passage.

Everything about this song is heavy - the bass does such a good job of filling out the guitar riffs and the drumming is relentless.

For any metal fans who don't appreciate European metal bands, COB are a great band to start listening to.

Daily Smooth: Ginuwine - Differences

Woo!

Haven't posted a Daily Smooth in a while, but after listening to Ginuwine again I could not help but post one of his songs from his third album The Life.

Differences is a song about Ginuwine's wife. I think it is beautiful to write a song for that special someone in your life.

Ginuwine is on form in this song - towards the end of the song all the vocal gymnastics come into play and the chorus harmonies are so pleasant to listen to.

The beat is so silky and the backing melody locks in with Ginuwine's voice during the chorus to wonderful effect.

Enjoy an R&B superstar's finer works:

Daily Ghetto: Lethal Bizzle - Forward Riddim

POW!

This was THE hype song from back in the day. Forget Tempz Next Hype, this song is the UK hype anthem. It was banned in clubs because people would get too rowdy if the DJ ever dropped it.

Forward Riddim was one of the songs that got the Grime genre recognized as more than just an underground music scene in 2004, and propelled Lethal Bizzle into the spotlight.

The song starts with Lethal B spraying those now infamous bars that gets everybody going.

Then a whole host of MCs drop some bars, including Ozzie B and Neeko from More Fire Crew (Lethal B being the third member of the group), and D Double E from the Newham Generals.

This is a classic Grime beat as well - repeat the same thing for the whole song and just let the bars do the talking.

The video is about as ghetto as the song - just watch it to see what I mean.

Daily Heavy: Trivium - In Waves

In Waves is the crushing title track of Trivium's latest album.

Trivium hold a special place in my appreciation of metal music. They get a lot of crap from older metalheads that don't like their look, or the screaming, or some of their music videos, but I experienced hearing them before seeing them.

I recall hearing a few singles from their third album, The Crusade, and I just enjoyed the lead playing and fast riffing they employed - as a 16 year old getting into that kind of music it was all new to my ears.

Trivium have moved on a great deal since the sound of their first three albums - their fourth, Shogun, was a display of technical playing, longer songs and liberal use of 7 string guitars.

In Waves, sees a huge step up in the vocal performance from frontman Matthew Heafy, a change in drummer triggering more blast beats and grindcore elements into the rhythm section as well as shorter songs that prove to be very catchy. 

As far as consistent songwriting goes Trivium have put out their most consistent album with In Waves.

This song really showcases Trivium's new direction - Heafy's screams are more controlled and better enunciated, the guitar riffs have more of a groove to them (something I prefer to hear over the thrash-inclined riffs of albums past), and the guitar solos sit better as part of the song rather than sounding like an exercise in technicality.

Overall this song is such a powerful statement to make to kick of the album, but it sucks you into what I consider to be Trivium's best album to date.

As for the video - it is worth watching all of it.

Daily Heavy: After The Burial - Promises Kept

After The Burial are a very technically skilled metal band, who use extended range guitars and a nice mix of harsh and clean vocals.

This song showcases the brutal and tight rhythm guitars this band prides itself on. Some of the riffs are on a par with metal legends like Meshuggah.

The riffing starts out quite simple, but the guitars remain melodic. Brutal vocals intertwine with high pitched cleans and in the chorus there is a lovely melody line played by the lead guitar.

The second verse ushers in the low pitched syncopated guitar riffs I mentioned earlier.

The breakdown towards the end is earth-shaking. The sonic-pounding of the kick drum locked in with the guitars is majestic.

This song comes from After The Burial's most recent album, In Dreams, an excellent release.

Daily Ghetto: Bad Meets Evil - Welcome 2 Hell

This of the opening track of Royce da 5'9" and Eminem's debut Bad Meets Evil album, Hell: The Sequel.

This song is 3 minutes of freestyle rap with Royce and Eminem trading bars over a nasty beat.

Both rappers are on form and this sets the tone for the rest of this excellent album. Eminem calls out some celebrities, as does Royce, and both do it with a rapid-fire syncopated flow.

There is some top level lyricism in this song with lots of clever metaphors - give it a few listens because Eminem in particular packs a lot of them into his bars.

 

Daily Heavy: Killswitch Engage - The End Of Heartache

This is the title track of, in my opinion, Killswitch Engage's best album The End Of Heartache.

This album marked a change of vocalist, and subsequently song writing style, for the band.

The more rugged and hardcore styled bark of Jesse Leach was replaced by Howard Jones' smooth semi-operatic clean vocals and traditional metalcore screams.

This song showcases both of Jones' singing styles beautifully and makes you appreciate how much vocal range he has.

The guitars are fairly simple and melodic in this song - giving it a sort of metal-ballad feel.

This song has become one of Killswitch's most recognizable songs as well as a fan favorite and it is clear to hear why - it is catchy and has sing-along choruses.

I'd urge any metal fan to listen to the album all the way through - it is a landmark release for the metalcore sub-genre.

Daily Ghetto: Lil Scrappy - Head Bussa

This has to be one of the crunkest beats ever!

Lil Scrappy and Lil Jon lay it down on this ghetto anthem.

The lyrics are typical of Southern rap - Scrappy raps about violence, hos, guns, cars and being in the club. Lil Jon and Lil Scrappy shout the chorus true Atlanta style.

The bass on this song is big and nasty - perfect for blasting in your car before hitting the club.

The video looks like Scrappy and Jon rounded up some of their crew and they just got wild and filmed it - low budget indeed.

Head Bussa

Daily Ghetto: Jay-Z and Kanye West - Who Gon Stop Me

Here's another Watch The Throne banger.

This song showcases the best attributes of each rapper - Kanye's top flight production style and Jay-Z's superior flow and clever lyricism.

The heavy dubstep-influenced beat is a room shaker and complements Kanye's verses at the start of the song.

Then the beat breaks down, and Jay-Z demonstrates why he is one of the best rappers alive; flawless delivery, with his signature inflections and such a punch behind every bar he spits.

Watch The Throne came out almost two years ago, but it is of such a high standard it still sounds fresh today.

Who Gon Stop Me

Daily Heavy: August Burns Red - Marianas Trench

Here's a song from one of my favorite metalcore bands, August Burns Red.

They are one of the more forward thinking bands in this genre and with every album they release, they manage to keep their sound fresh.

This song comes from their third album, Constellations, which happens to be their most coherent release to date.

This song kicks off with a slightly dirty guitar intro that kicks into full distortion backed by precise drumming.

The intro riffs contrasts completely with the verse riff, which has an odd meter.

The song devolves into a series of seemingly disconnected guitar riffs and lead lines that somehow work together in one piece.

This is a standard August Burns Red way of composing songs, and I like that it keeps the listener interested.

The breakdown is nice and melodic, not just single note chugging so typical of music from this genre.

I'd urge any metal fans to check this band out - most of their material is like this song in terms of its composition.

Marianas Trench

Daily Smooth: A$AP Rocky - Fashion Killa

Here's another song from A$AP Rocky's debut album Long Live A$AP.

It is one of the most laid back songs on the album and also one of my favorites.

I love how it combines a really heavy beat with 80s synth-pop styled melodies.

The hook is really simple and Rocky mixes up his flow throughout the verses, something that is a bit of a rarity on the album's other songs.

Fashion Killa

Daily Heavy: Vext - In The End

Vext is the eponymous band of vocalist Tommy Vext (formerly of Divine Heresy).

For me it is like a prog-metal allstar lineup - Angel Vivaldi on guitar, Bill Fore and Andrew Jacobs (from Mutiny Within) on drums and bass respectively.

The band's debut EP, Impermanence, is only 4 tracks long, but is top quality metal.

I knew Tommy Vext had a cracking voice from being a Divine Heresy fan, but even I was shocked by the vocal range he exhibits in this new project.

This song is catchy and somehow reminds me of a Killswitch Engage song.
Vext combines some light screams with soaring clean vocals and the layering of Vivaldi's guitars is majestic.

The guitar solo is tasteful as ever - something Angel Vivaldi has come to master.

This song has such a "big" sound to it - it is mixed so well - the bass can be heard and provides such sonic depth to this song.

This is something that a lot of modern metal bands neglect and as a result I feel that their songs end up sounding thin.

If Vext continues down this path, I will be highly anticipating their forthcoming album.

In The End

Daily Ghetto: N.E.R.D. - Rock Star Poser

This song comes from the original 2001 version of N.E.R.D.'s debut album In Search Of...

In my opinion this version is better than the rock version released on the 2002 remix of In Search Of...  The beat is pure Neptunes - so heavy and punchy.

Catchy synths and Pharell's smooth delivery drive this song.

Clever layering and beat drop outs keep this song interesting.

Rock Star Poser

Daily Heavy: Pyrithion - The Invention Of Hatred

I'm back, after a long blogging hiatus.

Today I'm bringing you the heavier-than-a-sumo-wrestler side project from Tim Lambesis of As I Lay Dying.

Pyrithion is a deathcore band that uses super low tuned guitars (an 8 string tuned to drop E!!!) and features Lambesis' most guttural screams and growls.

This song is the first released by the band and is a non-stop assault of rapid fire drums and sick riffs.

The pre-chorus/chorus guitar riff is one of the best I've heard all year and the Arabic sounding guitar solo drops into the song beautifully.

I can't wait to hear the rest of their upcoming release, The Burden Of Sorrow EP. 

The Invention Of Hatred

Daily Heavy: Beyond Creation - Omnipresent

This is some cracking modern death metal.

Beyond Creation are a Canadian technical death metal band that make use of 7 string guitars and a fretless bass that really sticks out in the mix.

This band really pushes the envelope; I mean how many bands give the bassist a solo!

This song has it all as far as virtuosity goes - intricate guitar and bass solos that intertwine with the rhythm section.

The drumming is super tight and the lead singer's shout is straight up brutal!

This song comes from the album The Aura, which is a fantastic release.

Omnipresent

Daily Heavy: TesseracT - Concealing Fate

When you have experienced a piece like this played live in its entirety, you fully appreciate the majesty of it.

I saw Tesseract play in support of fellow prog-metallers Periphery a few years ago. I had barely heard any of their material (aside from the second part of Concealing Fate) and had not realized that this song, although split into 6 parts for listening convenience and compositional structure, was in fact one continuous song, comprised of different movements.

And they played it, with no breaks, live; I became an instant fan of the band.

Even at almost 30 minutes long, I urge you to listen to it all the way through to appreciate the recurring themes and completeness it has.

Tesseract released Concealing Fate as an EP in the run up to their stunning debut album One, and the song forms the centerpiece of the album.

I won't even begin to describe the music, just concentrate on the sonic atmosphere created when you listen to it.

This is a progressive metal masterpiece.

Concealing Fate

Daily Heavy: System Of A Down - Chop Suey!

Whilst moving from the playing the classical guitar to playing electric, certain songs and riffs are ingrained in my progression to becoming a metal and rock based guitarist, and this song is one of them.

The intro riff, as the drums start to fade in, and the bass intensifies warns you that this song is going to go off. A long, building intro is a feature of many SOAD songs, and in this, their most acclaimed, what comes afterwards is total mayhem.

A thumping, chugging guitar riff, backed my furious drumming leads into that signature shouted vocal.

The dynamics in this song make the heavy parts have so much impact. Serj Tankian can sing so beautifully, and in the metal world a lead singer of this caliber can propel a band to superstardom, which is certainly the case with SOAD.


The album this comes from, Toxicity, makes it onto countless "best metal albums of all time" lists, and if you give it a listen you'll understand why - it is epic!

Chop Suey!

Daily Smooth: Ne-Yo - Because Of You

The title track of Ne-Yo's second album is one of his all-time best.

I love how the subtle piano backing plays off the heavy beat and the slapped bass.

There is a lot of layering going on here, we get strings and some subtly muted guitar as the song progresses.

Then we get Ne-Yo's wonderful voice holding the whole thing together as well some tasteful harmonies and backing vocals in the pre-chorus and chorus.

Ne-Yo is a top level songwriter - just look at his writing credits - and his skill comes through in this  beautiful song.

Because Of You

Daily Ghetto: Kanye West - Cold

This Kanye freestyle comes from his record label's compilation album, G.O.O.D. Music's Cruel Summer.

DJ Khaled features on this massive tune in which Kanye brags, disses and calls out Kris Humphries.

The beat is repetitive, but so damn catchy.

This is one of the many hits from Cruel Summer, which is one of the best compilation albums of the last 3 years or so.

Cold

Daily Heavy: HORSE the Band - Cutsman

A friend of mine and I chanced upon HORSE the Band whilst messing around on the internet during a jam session.

We actually could not believe our ears; this song manages to take elements from most punk, hardcore and metal subgenres, and fuse them all together in one song.

It sounds incoherent upon first listening to it, but give it a few more listens, and it somehow works.

I can't even put into words how odd this 80s and 90s era Nintendo-inspired band sounds, but Cutsman is a sonic explanation of their unique brand of music.

Enjoy this flurry of techno, hardcore, metal, avant-garde mayhem.

Cutsman

Daily Smooth: Mario Winans - I Don't Wanna Know

When this song dropped, back in 2004 it was one of the biggest R&B hits of the year.

Heavily sampling The Fugees classic, Ready or Not, this song changes the key and ups the tempo all while having a pulsating 808 style bassline in the mix.

Winans' silky voice tells of his woman betraying him and has so much emotion behind it. I especially enjoy the call and response section between Winans and Enya during the bridge.

Label-mate and collaborator of Winans, P.Diddy, drops a rapped verse towards the end which sits nicely and adds some punch to the song.

The album this comes from, Hurt No More, is excellent throughout. A great listen if you like more soulful R&B.


I Don't Wanna Know

Daily Heavy: Despised Icon - Day of Mourning

Despised Icon, along with Whitechapel, are one of my favorite deathcore bands.

The guitar riffs they churn out are so malevolent sounding and the fact that they have two vocalists mean they put on a fantastic live show - I saw them on tour with Parkway Drive a few years ago, the pits were nuts.

This song comes from their final album of the same name and features high tempos, frantic drumming and of course two big nasty breakdowns that fits nicely into the middle and end without sounding out of place.


Day Of Mourning

Daily Smooth: Ginuwine - Pony

Oh man this beat is so juicy - I love how chopped up it sounds.

Ginuwine lays down some sumptuous, sexual-innuendo laced lines with the most soulful delivery.

This song comes from his debut album, Ginuwine...the Bachelor, which is an R&B classic.

This makes a nice change from the slow jamz that were released during the mid 90s.


Pony

Daily Heavy: John Murphy - In The House In A Heartbeat

This song was made famous by being on the OST for the horror film 28 Days Later.

This is a perfect showcase of how repetition and an evolving theme can keep the listener interested over a long period of time, without the need for vocals.

The blend of bass, piano and acoustic/electric guitars before the percussion even kicks in is majestic, you get to fully appreciate the layering of this song and its wonderful composition.

Towards the end, it even begins to sound symphonic.

This is a masterpiece in modern instrumental music.

In The House In A Heartbeat

Daily Heavy: AxeWound - Cold

If you are into UK metal, you'll know that Bullet For My Valentine have recently released their fourth album Temper, Temper. As a longstanding Bullet fan I gave the first two singles from it a listen and they were dire; I was hoping that they had some good stuff saved for the rest of the album - no such luck. Compared to any of their previous work or even their contemporaries like Funeral For a Friend, their fourth attempt is dire.

So why have I prefaced this post with my short but damning review of Bullet's latest album?
Because only a few months earlier, Bullet frontman Matt Tuck released the debut album of his side-project AxeWound, and it was excellent.

The album, Vultures, sees Matt Tuck alongside vocalist Liam Cormier of hardcore band Cancer Bats, as well as members of Pitchshifter, Rise To Remain and Glamour of the Kill.
The brutality on this album reminds me of Bullet's Hand Of Blood EP as well as their debut album The Poison. 

It seems that this sort of music is still well within Matt Tuck, but clearly he needs his main band to release commercially acceptable tripe to be able to fill stadiums come headlining tour time.

This song is simple, but so catchy and heavy at the same time. Some punchy guitar riffs back up Tuck and Cormier's growls and screams during the verses and we got some more melodic vocals during the choruses.

But the highlight of this song has to be the breakdown at the end - it is earth shattering.

I hope for the integrity of Bullet For My Valentine that they begin to make music like this song again.

Cold

Daily Ghetto: Skepta - Hello Good Morning (Grime Remix)

This is a UK-USA mashup; Grime artist Skepta injects some pace and excitement into P.Diddy's already excellent song Hello Good Morning.

The beat is much heavier in this version and the tempo gets increased, turning this song from a rumbling synth-laden affair to a ferocious club banger.

Skepta spits his bars with intensity and clarity, something that elevates him above so many other Grime MCs.

The second verse sees Diddy and Skepta trading lines and then we get some sung vocals by one of Diddy's backing group, Dirty Money.

The production on this song is tight and I think it is a good showcase for UK music rather than some of the rubbish this scene has produced (I'm looking squarely at you Chipmunk).

Hello Good Morning (Grime Remix)

Daily Smooth: Boyz II Men - I'll Make Love To You

Well, because today is Valentine's Day I had to post one of the soppiest slow jamz I could muster up.

So here's one of Boyz II Men's many smash hits from their second album II.

I'm not even going to go into what this songs is about - the title says it all. As with most Boyz II Men songs, we get a nice sampling of Wanya and Shawn's sublime voices in the verses and then some of the sweetest harmonies you'll ever hear during the choruses and bridge.

This sort of song is the hallmark of Boyz II Men, and the album II is loaded with songs like this - guys take note - you can play this without skipping a track and your lady will love it.

So there we go - one for the lovers.


I'll Make Love To You

Daily Smooth: Chris Brown - Damage

Let me preface this post by saying that there seems to be a link between good to exceptional pop and R&B singers and their somewhat disturbed personal lives.

Michael Jackson, R.Kelly and Bobby Brown all fall into this category.

Yes Chris Brown is a woman-slapping douche with anger issues (recent beefs with Frank Ocean and Drake as well as throwing chairs out of buildings), but let's just appreciate the music he makes.

Damage comes from Chris Brown's second album Exclusive - one of his best efforts along with F.A.M.E.

This song lets Chris' voice shine because it sits fairly high in the mix and the instrumentation here is quite simple.

This is a quality modern slow jam - and the harmonies and ad libs towards the end are excellent.

Damage

Daily Ghetto: Juicy J - Bandz A Make Her Dance

This was one of the biggest tunes of last year.

If you follow this blog you will remember that I am a massive Three 6 Mafia fan, so when I caught wind of Juicy J releasing another solo album, with this as the lead single I was seriously excited.

The beat and production on this song is huge!

Since last year every other rap song was "(insert artist here) ft. 2 Chainz" this song, predictably has 2 Chainz on it.

Unfortunately the abhorrence that is Lil Wayne makes a mid-song appearance, but he does not bring the song down too much.

For the record, there is a version of this song that has just Juicy J rapping on it - by far the best incarnation if you don't want to hear Wayne's whiney voice.


Bandz A Make Her Dance

Daily Heavy: Meshuggah - Bleed

If music were to embody an event, this song would be a war cry;

Bleed is a relentless, surgically tight, sonic assault.

When you have two guitars and the kick drum blasting that machine gun-like riff for the first 3 minutes or so, you know you're in for a great metal song.

The way the riff gets played in a higher octave to start with and then the low notes of the 8 string guitars hit you later on takes you by surprise.

Vocalist Jens Kidman's off kilter growls add a level of brutality to this song that has to be heard to be understood!

Meshuggah are one of my favorite bands and I'd urge anyone that loves metal to check them out.

Bleed

Daily Heavy: Limp Bizkit - Break Stuff

I definitely grew up in an era when nu-metal ruled the radio as well as the music video channels.
While bands like Korn and Deftones paved the way for this sound in the mid-90s, I was more influenced by the two big players that came at the turn of the millenium: Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit.

Limp Bizkit receive unprecedented hatred by a number of music fans because of lead singer Fred Durst's reputation as a "douche", and while it might be true - other metal artists (Max Cavalera) seem to have this opinion - it does not take away from the band's fantastic work.

Break Stuff is one of Limp Bizkit's signature songs, coming from their big-selling second album, Significant Other. 

There's a groove formed by the guitar riff and drums that pulses continuously throughout the song which allows Durst's rapping to come through nicely during the verses.

I love how raw all the instruments sound - and the mix is fantastic - you can just about her all the instruments, but it all sounds cohesive and locked in especially during the choruses.


Break Stuff

Daily Heavy: Comeback Kid - Wake The Dead

It took me a while to get into/appreciate hardcore punk, but after I saw Comeback Kid supporting Parkway Drive in concert, I was converted.

They rocked and the energy they had on stage had to be seen to be believed.
It was so impressive to see a punk band in the middle of a mostly metalcore and deathcore lineup - they got the crowd going more than any of the other supports.

When they played this song, the pit went f**king nuts!

And I'm sure you can hear why - chant-a-long choruses, catchy guitars and relentless drumming at a very high tempo just makes you want to mosh hard.

I checked out some of CBK's other material and it is seriously good stuff. The album Wake The Dead is brilliant and opened my ears to a whole genre of music I thought was just basic guitars and shouty lead singers - how wrong was I?

Wake The Dead

Daily Ghetto: Lil Scrappy - No Problem

Lil Scrappy is one of Lil Jon's affiliates.

He was signed to Lil Jon's record label, BME Recordings.

This song comes from the split album with fellow Atlanta rappers Trillville.

This song has a menacing beat, it combines that old school horrorcore sound with a more typically crunk sound during the choruses.

Scrappy raps in a heavy Southern accent and makes dog noises during the chorus - what's not to like?

The video - Cadillacs , hos and grillz - business as usual.

No Problem

Daily Ghetto: Bone Crusher - Never Scared

"I told that muthafucka, I ain't never scared"

Boom!

Big fat Atlanta rapper Bone Crusher growls the chorus to this song in a way that makes you want to fight.

You know to expect a dirty bass-blasting beat when listening to Atlanta hip hop and this song has some nasty bass.

Killer Mike and T.I. come in one the second and third verses respectively - it is amazing to hear T.I. before he got big.

Never Scared

Daily Heavy: Keith Merrow - The Piscator

Keith Merrow is one of the slew of "Youtube guitarists" that gear nerds such as myself go nuts over, not just for their fantastic playing, but also for their tasty custom shop guitars and nice rack gear.


This song comes from Merrow's self released album Awaken The Stone King, which is a prog/melodeath sounding instrumental gem.

Blending Arabian style lead lines over tight staccato riffing comes out sounding amazing and although the rest of the song plays out in a sort of technical death metal meets prog metal, it gives keeps the listener interested throughout.

If you like Merrow, you'll be glad to hear that he is planning a collaborative album with legendary shredder Jeff Loomis in the near future - oh my!

The Piscator

Daily Heavy: Parkway Drive - Horizons

Parkway Drive are a sick Aussie metalcore band that have elevated themselves to one of the best bands in their scene, on a par with the likes of As I Lay Dying and Killswitch Engage.

I've seen these guys twice in concert and they slay.
I find that they exemplify that there shouldn't be any stereotypes when it comes to who plays hardcore and metal music; I mean you wouldn't really expect it from a bunch of surfer dudes that wear flip flops and board shorts on stage.

This song comes from Parkway's album of the same name and really puts the icing on an outstanding release of melodic metalcore.

Parkway so often find ways to contrast the brutality of the vocals with tastefully layered guitars and tempo shifts and this song has it all.

From the slow, clean guitar laden intro, to the typically hard hitting riffing during the verses and the thumping breakdown, down tuned guitar chugging and all, this song forms a path that leads up to my favourite passage of music on the album.

The last couple of minutes has the song slow right down and the lead guitarist employs some sweep picking and tapping over the octaves of the rhythm guitar to wonderful effect, paired with the harmonized guitar riff and this is what makes Horizons one of Parkway Drive's best songs.

Horizons

Daily Heavy: Sepultura - Refuse/Resist

Old school (Max Cavalera) era Sepultura are one of my favourite thrash bands of all time.

Max almost barks out his politically charged lyrics with such power that you can feel it in your chest when you have a Sepultura song on full blast.

There is something so primal sounding about this song.

Notice how the mix is so good - you can hear the bass because both guitarists, Andreas and Max, have such a buzzsaw, mid heavy guitar tone and the drums sound tribal - about right for a Brazilian thrash metal band!

The riffs are so groovy and powerful and the up tempo bridge, with that typically crazy sounding wah laiden guitar solo from Andrea Kisser add a nice twist to what is quite an uncomplicated song.

Refuse/Resist

Daily Smooth: Lupe Fiasco - Superstar

The NBA used this song a few years ago for their Allstar Weekend. It took me ages to find out who it was by, but I was so glad to have come across Lupe Fiasco.

This song features Matthew Santos on vocals during the chorus and he sounds amazing. Then Lupe comes in with some good lyrics and great flow.

But I have to say, this song sounds even better when you listen to it as part of the album it comes from, The Cool, which is a fantastic piece of music from start to finish.


Superstar

Daily Ghetto: Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Eminem - Forever

This is a rundown of crap rapper, decent rapper, good rapper and amazing rapper.
I think it is fairly obvious which is which on this track.

Before I even get to the rappers on this song, I have to give props to the massive beat.
The synth bass during the chorus sounds nasty!

And now onto the rappers:
Drake - weak, but at least he "sings" the chorus on this one, sounds ok.

Kanye - hard! clever bars, but using his standard flow and feels he has to announce himself: "Mr. West is in tha building" Kanye we know you have a massive ego, chill.

Lil Wayne - dire, crap bars, slow and droning flow, they could have done without this trash on this track.

Eminem - smacked it outta the park, basically shows up the other three. Brutal flow, best lyrics, vocal syncopation which chops through the beat.

Lesson to all sub par rappers - if you invite any of the following rappers onto your song, be on your game, or get showed up:

Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Eminem, Jay-Z, Nas, Big Boi, Krayzie Bone, Twista, Kendrick Lamar and that's only the alive ones!

Forever

Daily Ghetto: Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka Flame - Mud Musik

Let's get serious, this track would be ghetto enough with Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka on it already, but then to have a verse from 2 Chainz at the end makes this song super-hood.

The laid back beat of this song is about appropriate for a song about drank - if you do not know what drank is then get on urban dictionary and educate yourself about some hood culture.

I'm going to call out Gucci Mane on this song; he can't rap
I cannot overstate this enough - Gucci Mane is weak. When Waka Flocka and 2 Chainz make you look bad then you know something is wrong.

Fortunately this song's heavy beat makes up for the disappointing middle verse by Gucci and at the very least, everybody's favourite rapper 2 Chainz saves the song with a decent last verse.


Mud Musik

Daily Heavy: Fightstar - Palahniuk's Laughter

A brief history of the post hardcore band Fightstar:

Much to the dismay of teenage girls around the UK, Charlie Simpson left teen pop punk band Busted in 2005 and about a year later put out the first Fightstar album as an outlet to write, record and perform the music he really wanted to.

Simply put it was a good move, because Fightstar's debut album, Grand Unification, is up there with some of the best debut albums from modern British bands.

I've chosen a song from the EP that preceded Grand Unification because I feel that it captures the raw sound of a newly formed band and has an almost demo-like feel to it.

Palahniuk's Laughter is a very emotionally charged song, both musically and lyrically. The guitar riffs span from super heavy and chugging, to mid-gained powerchords, to clean arpeggiated chords.

Simpson's voice ranges from clean and choral to a strained shout during the choruses.
I recall that the lyrics are referring to a breakup that Charlie went through and the song is being directed at the woman that slighted him; don't quote me on that, I think I read it in an interview Fighstar did for Kerrang magazine ages ago. Either way the power with which they are delivered is impressive.

Palahniuk's Laughter

Daily Ghetto: Jibbs - King Kong

The title of this song refers to a sound system in the back hoodrat Jibbs' car, not the oversized gorilla.

The beat is about as heavy as King Kong the gorilla, which is somehow appropriate.

Jibbs is a pretty one dimensional rapper, so fortunately the much more skilled Chamillionaire makes an appearance on this song to liven things up.

The bass on this song is earth-shaking if you blast it through a good system.
I'm also fairly sure that after listening to this song, you'll want to go ridin in your car with it blasting, at least I do anyway.

Now for the video - it looks like an extended trailer for an episode of Pimp My Ride crossed with excerpts from The Fast and The Furious.

That is until Chamillionaire's verse, where it descends into grillz, ice, whips and surprisingly few hoes!

King Kong

Daily Heavy: All That Remains - This Calling

I love bands like All That Remains, who fuse elements from many metal subgenres into their mainly metalcore sound.

This song has strong thrash (the verse guitar riffs), death metal (the drums for the whole song), and melodic death metal (the breakdown guitar riffs and solo) influences.

Singer Phil Labonte takes cues from his contemporaries Jesse Leach and Brian Fair of Killswitch Engage and Shadows Fall respectively. He mixes those hardcore shouts with sublime clean vocals, that match this song's progression wonderfully - and this is what cements this song as having your typical metalcore sound.

The instrumentation is predictably tight and precise - listen to how locked in the drums, guitars and bass are during the intro/verse passages. It has everything to make you want to circle headbang and mosh.

Give the album this song comes from a listen, The Fall Of Ideals, is a fantastic melodic metalcore release, produced by none other than the legendary Adam D from Killswitch Engage.


This Calling

Daily Heavy: Lamb Of God - Desolation

Oh my, I had a hard time picking just one Lamb Of God song for this post, but I had to go with a song from their new album, Resolution, just because of how much it captures this band's sound.

Desolation, has one of the bounciest, grooviest guitar riffs, that just begs you to headbang.

There aren't many bands that come close to having the groove found in Lamb Of God's songs - only legendary bands like Pantera and Machine Head are on a par.

The drumming here is precise and hard hitting as ever and vocalist Randy Blythe's harsh screams cap off the sonic mayhem of this song.

Amazing stuff from the tastiest riff writers since Dimebag Darrell's untimely passing.

Desolation

Daily Smooth: Corbin Bleu - Speed Of Light

Yes that is the kid from High School Musical.
You may be surprised to know that he can actually sing fairly well.

As autotuned as this song is, the beat is sick and the whole thing reminds me of Justin Timberlake or JLS.

This makes me want to get up and dance, just pop and snap hard!

Speed Of Light

Daily Heavy: Deftones - When Girls Telephone Boys

Unbelievably I haven't posted a song from possibly my favorite metal band, Deftones.

I've chosen When Girls Telephone Boys from their 2003 self titled album, because I can not get over how heavy the chorus riff is - it is the sonic equivalent of an earthquake.

This band goes way beyond the sound you hear on this song; elements of hip hop, electronica, trance and alternative rock can be found throughout their back catalogue.

Their songwriting and composition is quite simple, but it is executed so well, and most importantly, is very catchy - the guitar riffs are very memorable.

When Girls Telephone Boys