Corey Taylor

The Best Albums of 2020


It’s time for my annual album hall of fame post! This year I’m hopeful I’ll get this published much earlier in the year. Last year it was JUNE before I finally got my 2019 post done. Oops! While all three of my highly anticipated concerts for 2020 got corona-canned, the upside is there were still some really amazing albums released last year. These are in no particular order, other than the first two which I consider to be my favorites for the year.

Please keep in my mind that I am in no way a professional music reviewer. I’m just a 30 something mom, wife, & nurse who happens to really enjoy music- & writing about it & sharing it with others. But I in no way have access to hear all the new music that was released last year, even within my favorite genres. This is not meant to be an all encompassing list by any means- it’s really just my personal favorites for the year.

  • F8 by Five Finger Death Punch: Is the title “F 8” because this is FFDP’s eighth album, or is it just an abbreviation for the word fate? Or both? Anyway, this is the first FFDP album written with vocalist Ivan Moody completely sober, & it is every bit as amazing as you’d expect. Per the usual, lyrically there are some very dark themes here but they are addressed in a way that is much less angry than one usually sees from Ivan- at least some of them are. And yet the band has definitely not gone soft! I’m not sure I could pick a favorite track on this monumental album but one of my favorites is definitely Living the Dream (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOkkWIOkWl8)- & yes, I loved it even more after the band released such an epic music video to go with it. Musically the most surprising song on the album is probably A Little Bit Off (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve3fcInpKj0) which incidentally also has a neat music video- filmed at the height of quarantine in a ghost town Las Vegas. In case this song has you worried that the band has indeed gone soft, the last line of the song followed by the next song, the hard-hitting Bottom of the Top (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q9aRCQvplE), proves they most definitely have not. However, two of the most touching songs on the album are the hauntingly beautiful rock ballads Brighter Side of Grey (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JLv8FTO_R8) & Darkness Settles In (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pglKybM4yl0). I for one cannot wait to see what the futures holds for this band now that Ivan has truly addressed his inner demons & achieved sobriety, something that, to be honest, I never thought would actually happen. I am so glad he proved me wrong! Anyway, I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention Full Circle (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm_T_4Bp_aM), another favorite of mine. By the way, if you’re thinking this album was inspired by Covid & the associated lockdowns, it wasn’t. It was actually released before all that even happened, but it’s amazing how relevant some of the lyrics are to the worldwide situation that unfolded so shortly after its release.
  • Tickets to My Downfall by Machine Gun Kelly: A lot of people were surprised to hear MGK go pop-punk but if you listened to his last album, especially the final track with Yunglud, you probably sensed that this was coming. And what a glorious thing it is! MGK had an excellent response to those who accused him of switching genres. As he told Howard Stern: “I make a pop-rock record…. and everyone’s like, ‘you switched genres!’ To me, I just added on to the multiple things I’ve already done anyway, but sure, what a narrow-minded way to look at things.” (see https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9454468/machine-gun-kelly-interview-howard-stern-eminem). Everything about this album is very intentional & well designed, including the insightful title which was inspired by the way Hollywood, the media, & celebrity culture in general build people up when they are rising stars but are just as swift to throw them away & celebrate their downfall, often only a short time later. The first song, cheekily entitled Title Track, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUBQ0_0Q7j0) is all about that concept. Now I could easily write about every song on this album but I’ll try to condense this to my favorites. Check out Bloody Valentine (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSdT-SArM2Q) & the accompanying music video which features his real life girlfriend Megan Fox- although they were not yet officially dating at the time, it is pretty obvious they had a real connection beyond just the theatrics of the video. Another fun song with another fun video, both of which feature Halsey, is Forget Me Too (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tn6nWYNK3Q). One of the most poignant songs on the album is Lonely (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AJ6EI3uda4) which includes a recording of MGK’s dad talking about his son near the end of his life. (Background: MGK’s mom left him & his dad when MGK was just a child & thus he has no relationship with her at all. His relationship with his dad was fractured for many years but was restored somewhat before his father died last year.) On a more upbeat note, Concert for Aliens is a very catchy song that is very reminiscent of 2000s punk that also comes with another fun video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dANJlolAYyA). The album ends with the heartfelt tearjerker Play This When I’m Gone (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kQJOSVwqwc). I could write so much more about this album but let me just sum it up by saying that I sincerely hope MGK & Travis Barker will continue working together because together they are magic.
  • Weird by Yungblud: If you are offended by bisexual men who have an affinity for pink socks & occasionally wear dresses on stage, then Yunglud isn’t for you, which is a shame because his music is truly wonderful. One thing I love about this album is that, like all of his work, the songs are nearly impossible to categorize. Is Yungblud a pop star or a rock star? Or both? Whatever he is, he’s a brilliant musician. The album starts with the slow-burning Teresa (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5mz9j3Bg3o), a song that I fall more in love with every time I hear it. Other favorites include the heart-wrenching Love Song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzKJ9-3MQBc) in which he croons about having trouble loving others because he wasn’t taught to love himself, & the inspirational God Save Me But Don’t Drown Me Out (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSwiHeoYL34) in which he states “I won’t let my insecurities define who I am.” A similar message of reveling in your own weirdness is found in the final track The Freak Show (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXaZdp5byE8) which gives me slight Manson vibes & has quickly become a favorite of mine. One of the most powerful songs on the album is the title track (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIWALAgvz2U) which was actually written before quarantine but was such a light for me & so many others during the height of the lockdowns last Spring. It truly is the perfect quarantine song. I also feel compelled to mention that I love the fact that Yungblud’s Yorkshire accent is often audible in his music, whereas so many other British musicians aren’t even noticeably British when they sing.
  • Who I Am by Cory Marks: I first came across Cory Marks because he featured Ivan Moody from FFDP on the standout track Outlaws & Outsiders (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsHtLXIAEh0) from this album. The curious mix of country & rock immediately intrigued me, so naturally I dug further. Then I found the gorgeous duet Out in the Rain (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awyPddDLzFc) featuring Lzzy Hale, & of course after that I had to have the whole album. Other standout tracks include Another Night in Jail (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ-o_oS3ysg) which was definitely written about a literal night in jail but can also be taken to mean the jail of one’s own mind, which I find very clever, & She’s Hollywood (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gjB_EsU2lg). Take note, this is not your grand-dad’s country! This is country by a Canadian man covered in tattoos who basically looks like a somewhat countrified version of Jax Teller from Sons of Anarchy. Ladies (or gents), do a quick Google search & you can thank me afterward. The point is, there are a few swear words & a lot more rock & roll sounding guitars than what most folks are used to in country music. But that’s at least part of what makes it so much fun!
  • CMFT by Corey Taylor: Ah, the long awaited solo album by Corey Taylor of Stone Sour & Slipknot fame! I for one was very disappointed to hear that Stone Sour are now on hiatus, especially since the concert of theirs to which I had tickets a few years ago was canceled due to a hurricane, so I’ve never gotten to see them live. An assuaging factor, however, is that Corey’s solo album is quite similar in style to Stone Sour, so I’m hopeful that when he eventually is able to tour for this album maybe he’ll throw in a few Stone Sour songs too. Anyway, my favorite from this album is the caustic & blistering Culture Head (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5a6NQcDaE8). Other highlights include Everybody Dies on My Birthday (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbIKWawcQ4I), Black Eyes Blue (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og1RMTP2fYk), & the somewhat country-inspired Highway 666 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btM3xwtF9o8). For a lighthearted turn, check out the ridiculous CMFT Must Be Stopped which features rapper Tech N9ne (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEPI69cx22E).
The cover art is one of Manson’s own water color paintings.
  • We Are Chaos by Marilyn Manson: After the accusations that have come out against Manson the past few days, I suppose it would be the “right” thing to do to delete this album from my list. But good music is good music & I stand by that, even if it was created by a very flawed man. Besides I still believe in innocent until proven guilty, though clearly much of our society does not. Anyway, Manson’s new work with Shooter Jennings is definitely a mature new version of this always talented & ever evolving musician. The title track on this album immediately reeled me in with its gritty darkness that is somehow still uplifting (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQJFP1INGxs). Other stand out tracks include Red, White, & Blue (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKn_PxGKq7M), Perfume (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKn_PxGKq7M), & Solve Caligula (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTEW762-Ci0). The last lines of Solve Caligula are “I’m not special, I’m just broken, & I don’t wanna be fixed.” As much as I love Manson’s music I sincerely hope that isn’t a reference to being an abuser… I must say I find it suspicious that he & Johnny Depp are such good friends (they even have matching tattoos) & of course Johnny was recently painted as an abuser by his ex wife only for the truth to come out to be quite the opposite. Obviously I’m biased because I love Manson’s music, but it just makes me wonder. I know society today says always believe the victim & as much as my heart bleeds for abuse victims, I still think evidence is important & everyone should get a chance to tell their side of the story before “canceling” someone. Anyway, no matter what comes out, I still stand by this as an excellent album. After all, society still worships plenty of music by other less than perfect individuals…
  • Hunter Gatherer by Avatar: I first discovered Avatar when I saw them open for Trivium a few years ago. It was love at first listen, so naturally I was very excited for this album. While I enjoyed their previous two albums, I was glad to find that this one is a return to a darker, heavier sound, more akin to Hail the Apocalypse. Be sure to check out the creepy but fascinating video for the stellar track Colossus (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLMCsFjawNU). First single Silence in the Age of the Apes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBlb8TTO0c8) is also fantastic, as is God of Sick Dreams (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tHlijWX21s). Lastly, don’t miss A Secret Door (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKqVB_e8u5w) which features an interesting cameo from the aforementioned Corey Taylor- trust me, it’s not what you’d expect. This is yet another album that was written prior to Covid & yet is so fitting for the current state of the world.

I’ll end this post as I often do by including my picks for my most anticipated albums of 2021:

  • Death By Rock & Roll by the Pretty Reckless (out 2/12)
  • The Phantom Tomorrow by Black Veil Brides
  • Heart & Soul by Eric Church (April)
  • TBA by Beartooth
  • TBA by Halestorm
  • TBA by Machine Gun Kelly (Yes, he is awfully prolific!)
  • TBA by Nothing More
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To All of You Freaks Like Me


To expound a bit on the beginning of yesterday’s post, may I just say once again how much I cannot stand modern country & pop music? 

Why am I harping on this again?  Well, today I cleaned out my closet, something I’ve been meaning to do for a very long time, & took some clothes over to Plato’s Closet.  I was pretty sure they would reject most of the items & I’d end up taking most of them to the thrift store, but I figured it was worth a shot anyway.  While I was at the store waiting for them to look over my stuff, I was forced to listen to some of this godawful modern country & pop . . . And I am not exaggerating when I tell you that I became angrier & angrier the longer I was in that store! corey taylor quote

As I said yesterday, I haven’t listened to the radio in months so I guess I’ve been away from this kind of music long enough to forget just how bad it really is.  Stuff like this & this just make me want to scream.  I mean the lyrics, not to mention the music itself, are just so BAD!!  Then there’s Luke Bryan’s That’s My Kinda Night & Florida Georgia Line’s Sippin’ on Fire which to me are the epitome of everything that is wrong with modern country music . . . Yes, they’re catchy songs, but catchy in no way equals good.  More often than not I think the catchier a song is, the stupider it is.  If you really think about it, a song that is both lyrically & musically sound is probably NOT going to be super catchy at first.  Indeed most songs that say something worth hearing are NOT easily digestible, at least on first listen.  One could easily say the same for books & most other kinds of art.

Yes!! I'm only 26, folks. I'm NOT old.

Yes!! I’m only 26, folks. I’m NOT old.

Now let’s take a quick walk through the ever bizarre world of fashion.  As I was wandering around Plato’s Closet today, I kept experiencing the same phenomenon I so often do in stores these days: I kept thinking “Ugh, this stuff is just bizarre, some of it even downright ugly.  Who wears this crap?!”  And as usual I found myself wondering why anyone would torture themselves with the stilettos & other such uncomfortable fashions that dotted the store.  I might be only 26, but life is way too short to be uncomfortable for the sake of fashion, no matter how “good” something looks.  If that makes me lazy, I really could not possibly care less . . . Anyways, as it turned out, Plato’s Closet did reject all of my clothes, which was really not surprising considering most of them were pretty old AND considering I’ve never exactly been a fashionista.  So I just took the clothes to the thrift store & called it a day.

For those of you who enjoy looking like a lamp shade . . .

For those of you who enjoy looking like a lamp shade . . .

As I said, I’m far from a fashionista.  But that’s not to say I’m frumpy either; I certainly don’t go out in sweatpants & raggedy old T-shirts or anything like that.  But the older I get, the more I find that I am truly disinterested in following the trends of fashion.  For at least the past three or four years, it’s become increasingly difficult for me to find clothes I actually like.  This is probably because lately a lot of really girly clothes have been in style.  If something has frills, pleats, bows, or a large amount of sequins or glitter, odds are I’m not going to like it.  If it’s a crop top or skinny jeans, you can just forget about it.  And if it could be described as preppy, don’t even bother.  I don’t suppose I have a scientific reason for why I really dislike these fashions; I just do.  Maybe it’s because some of them strike me as rather childish & I for one am NOT a little girl anymore.  I’m a woman, even if sometimes I have to remind myself that, yes, I am actually an adult.  (The older I get, the more I realize no one ever really feels like an adult; we’re all just doing the best we can.  But that’s a whole other blog post right there.)

And for those of you who want to look like you have wings on your hips

And for those of you who want to look like you have wings on your hips

I guess what I’m starting to realize is, like so many things in life, when it comes to fashion I like things that will last, that is classics that never go out of style.  I love things like V-neck sweaters, boot-cut jeans, sheath dresses (I think that’s the right term), athletic-style tank tops, & leopard print (though I’m very particular about leopard print because it can be incredibly tacky if not done right).  None of these things is particularly trendy now or maybe ever, but they’re never really OUT of style either, if that makes sense.  Considering I’m married to the first man I ever dated, I guess it makes sense that my personality type would be attracted to fashions that will stand the test of time.

Maybe it's boring, but I really like classic styles like this.

Maybe it’s boring, but I really like classic styles like this.

Unlike yesterday’s post this isn’t really supposed to be deep or super meaningful.  I’m basically just ranting about how disenfranchised I feel from popular culture, particularly when it comes to music & fashion.  At the end of the day, the music thing bothers me a lot more because the older I get (I keep saying that!!), the more I realize how powerful music really is & the more important it becomes to me in my daily life.  Gene Simmons might have proclaimed that rock is dead, but I for one know it is not.  I know I’m biased because I have a predilection for rock & metal, but one reason this kind of music speaks to me so much is that the vast, vast majority of rock & metal bands write all of their own music, both the lyrics & the music itself.  They aren’t just auto-tuned pop stars singing over top electronically produced tracks!  It just makes me so angry when I think about all of the truly talented musicians out there whose work isn’t getting a fraction of the airplay & attention that talentless idiots like Justin Beiber, Selena Gomez, Carley Rae Jepson, & Miley Cyrus are getting.

Yes!

Yes!

Again, this was just a rant.  I realize there are more important issues in the world today.  I can forgive the fashion industry for producing ugly clothes.  But I cannot forgive the music industry for producing & promoting so much blatantly BAD music.  And furthermore I cannot forgive the masses for consuming it & LIKING it. rock quote 1

As Corey Tyalor so eloquently stated in his first book The Seven Deadly Sins (seriously, folks, you need to read it!), “Bad music is a form of murder to the true art of music in general.  Bad music forced on a child is abuse because it invariably forms that child’s taste in music. Bad music has raped an industry that was held up strongly by great expression for decades but now finds itself floundering, giving in to the lowest common denominator of music just to keep its panties around its waist. Bad music tortures the eardrums & kills little bits of your senses through prolonged exposure. Bad music steals money from shallow pockets, steals airtime from more deserving bands & songwriters, & steals the spotlight from undiscovered geniuses who have all but given up on a dream because of the mediocrity of popular radio. Bad music is a lie, & yet it is foisted on the public in an attempt to turn melodies & songs into hamburgers & fries. Bad music is truly a sin because you don’t have to be exceptional to make it in the music industry anymore. You just have to be good enough to stick around & be tolerated.”

To end on a positive note, let me share one of my favorite Halestorm songs that celebrates all of you freaks like me.freak like meAnd because I’m feeling extra generous, click here to check out the new track from Gemini Syndrome.  This is just one example of the extraordinary work this band produces.  Every song they write is both lyrically & musically fantastic.

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Musings From a Perfect Summer Evening


Over the past 24 hours I’ve frequently found myself thinking about just how blessed I really am.  For example, yesterday evening I spent some time at our neighborhood pool reading the new Corey Taylor book (he’s the lead singer of both Stone Sour & Slipknot, two amazing rock/metal bands, in case you were unaware), & during my time there I kept thinking to myself how absolutely perfect the evening was.  Taylor’s latest book is, as always, both astoundingly hilarious & devastatingly profound, so that alone would be enough to make for a pleasant evening.  (It’s called You’re Making Me Hate You, & you can find it on Amazon.)  Add to that the pristine peacefulness of sitting by the pool watching the sunlight filtering through the pine trees, creating dancing shadows & shifting shapes on the fence.  Furthermore I had the pool entirely to myself for quite a bit of time, so I said “To hell with safety” & swam alone for what was probably the first time in my life.  To be clear, I’m a perfectly adept swimmer, but the nurse in me was screaming “No one should ever swim alone, not even Michael Phelps!”  But I silenced that voice because, as I said to myself then, what’s the point of life if you don’t take a few (calculated & intelligently planned) risks now & then?

The pool last night

The pool last night

Additionally as I walked back to the house after my time at the pool, I found myself watching the sky in utter fascination & awe.  It doesn’t matter how many beautiful clouds or sunsets I’ve seen; each new experience is just as meaningful & stunning as the last.  As I stopped to take a picture of the vibrant blue sky with feathery white clouds, I thought to myself, “THIS is why I want to have kids someday, so they can experience the beauty of nature & the simple pleasures of being alive.”

The sky last night

The sky last night

This of course led to further pondering about why I do in fact, after much deliberation & a boatload of self-doubt, want to be a mother someday.  I don’t want to be a mom so I can have a “mini me” running around.  God knows, the world probably doesn’t need that!  Ha!  I don’t want to have kids so that I can live vicariously through them, to have them fulfill the dreams that I haven’t yet fulfilled myself. And I don’t want to have kids just out of fear that I’ll regret it someday if I don’t.  Furthermore, though it’s tempting at times, I don’t want to have kids just so I can “keep up” with my friends who are pregnant & starting their own families now.

My favorite hike in VA: Grayson Higlands

My favorite hike in VA: Grayson Highlands

No, I want to have kids so I can share with them the intense pleasures of being alive.  Yes, going to college & obtaining a great career is wonderful.  Indeed it is exactly what allows me to live a financially stable life in which I can have, within reason of course, almost anything I want (decent vacations every year, concerts to see my favorite bands, going out to eat with friends on a regular basis, etc).   But I don’t want to have kids just so I can see them grow up to become doctors or lawyers or scientists or whatever else represents “success.”  To be clear, I’ll be damned if they grow up to be ignorant fools who are a burden on society.  Of course I want them to be successful . . .

Beautiful fall colors at House Mountain near Lexington, VA

Beautiful fall colors at House Mountain near Lexington, VA

But more than that I want them to be happy, to understand that the point of life isn’t just to have a good career, own a house, get married, etc.  The purpose of life is simply to live it, to soak up as many experiences as we can during our short stay on this earth.  I want to have kids so I can share with them the feeling of the wet grass beneath our feet & the sand between our toes.  I want to sit under the stars with them & stare in wonder at the nighttime sky, to watch a sunset & feel the magic of simply being alive to witness it.  I want to share with them the beauty of the mountains & the beach & the Fall leaves as they change colors & drift to the ground.  I want to share with my kids the pleasures of exploring the world & learning about different cultures & people & ways of life on this planet we all call home.  I could go on & on, but I suppose you get the picture by now.diverse kids

As I’m finishing up this post, it occurs to me that my husband & I moved to NC three years ago today.  What a crazy day that was!  When we moved here, I had no idea if I’d really like it or not.  I had no idea if I’d be able to adapt to living in a city with almost half a million people, in a culture that is very different than anything I’d ever known previously.  In reality it took a few months, closer to a year I suppose, to start making friends & really feeling at home here, but now I love this area & can’t imagine a better place to raise kids someday.  Amazing how life works out sometimes when you take a calculated risk & run with it!

One of the absolute greatest pleasures of my life: our Welsh corgi named Chacuer

One of the absolute greatest pleasures of my life: our Welsh corgi named Chaucer

I’m not sure really what the exact purpose of this post is other than to say that I’m once again reminded of the gloriousness there is in just being alive & having the chance to chase your dreams while also relishing in the simple pleasures of life that make this journey truly worthwhile.  As I draw to a close, a storm has just rolled in, & as the rain pours down & the thunder snarls, I’m reminded once again of the beauty & power of nature.  I grew up being terrified of storms, & even now I still feel an initial blip of fear whenever a storm starts.  But I’ve learned that storms can be beautiful.  So instead of sitting here in fear like I would have for most of my life, I’m going to watch the rain, listen to some music (but not loud enough to disguise the rolling of the thunder), cuddle with my corgi, & revel in the beauty of nature once again.

I didn't take this picture, but I thought it was pretty cool.

I didn’t take this picture, but I thought it was pretty cool.

Cheers!

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