Best Albums of 2018

It’s the end of the year so, as I have for the past few years, that means it’s time for me to put together my list of the best albums of 2018. As always, my picks are almost entirely of the rock/metal variety but there is one country album thrown in there. And if you know me, you can probably guess which artist’s album that is! Anyhow, I don’t claim to be any kind of professional music reviewer. I’m just a hardcore fan of music- & an old school fan at that- who still buys actual physical albums (read: CDs). As such, these are my picks for the best albums of 2018. These are in no particular order, other than my absolute favorite is at the end (& that was hard to choose).

Disease by Beartooth: I can’t believe I initially forgot to include this album on here- but I guess that’s what happens when you’re rushing to compose an entire post during your toddler’s nap. Anyway, the follow up to Aggressive is every bit as amazing as that album was, perhaps even more so. The album starts with Greatness or Death which has to be one of the greatest album openers of all time. It starts slow & quiet- & then suddenly bashes you in the face with heaviness. It’s simply genius. It’s hard for me to pick favorites from this album because every song is truly fantastic but you definitely don’t want to miss the energy on Fire, Bad Listener, & Manipulation. It’s truly difficult to believe that lead singer & songwriter Caleb Shomo is just 26 years old- but he is. This is one mature & talented young man for sure.
Reverence by Parkway Drive: The previous Parkway Drive album was entitled Ire but this album contains every bit as much ire as that one did- as well as a heavy dose of sadness. I think Ire will probably always be my personal favorite Parkway Drive album but Reverence is still a great one. It’s worth reading about the stories behind the songs to understand the pain that infused lead singer/songwriter Winston McCall as he penned this album. Album opener Wishing Wells is heavy & dark & sets a great tone for the rest of the disc. Prey has some fantastic guitar riffs & will easily get stuck in your head, as will Absolute Power. Cemetery Bloom is by far the most inventive & unusual track on the album with its chanting medieval feel. Another beautifully written song that you absolutely shouldn’t miss is melancholy album closer The Colour of Leaving.
Vicious by Halestorm: If you know anything about my musical taste, you probably already guessed that this album would be on here. Here lately I’ve been trying to decide if I could pick a favorite Halestorm album- & I swear I really can’t! I love them all for so many reasons that it’s just impossible to choose. In any case, as soon as I heard Uncomfortable I knew this album was going to be a good one (not that I ever had any doubts). Overall this album has a darker grungier feeling than the band’s previous album. Even the album artwork & Lzzy’s current outfits, hair, & makeup strike me as a bit darker, a bit more rock & roll than her softer, more traditional appearance during the last album cycle. Lzzy is gorgeous no matter what she wears or how she does her hair but I for one am a big fan of this darker look that she has embraced lately. Anyway, back to the music. . . . Other favorites of mine include Killing Ourselves to Live, the acoustic slow-burning The Silence, & the powerful Skulls (don’t miss the grungy part at 2:17 that is a bit reminiscent of Alice in Chains).
Family Tree by Black Stone Cherry: Black Stone Cherry have definitely embraced a more bluesy southern rock feel on their last few albums but never so strongly as on this year’s Family Tree. Songs like New Kinda Feeling & You Got the Blues perfectly exemplify this. Other favorites of mine are I Need a Woman & James Brown. I seriously don’t know how anyone could listen to this album & not end up with a smile on their face- & a serious desire to dance! These guys have got some serious rhythm, not to mention a heavy dose of soul. Listen & you’ll know what I mean.
Vale by Black Veil Brides: I’m not sure BVB will ever top Wretched & Divine for me because that album was just so amazing in every way possible. However, this album, which is actually a sequel to that one & was co-produced by lead guitarist Jake Pitts, is definitely a great effort. Songs like Wake Up (don’t miss the awesome leather jackets the guys are wearing in the music video) & The Outsider will get you pumped up while more ballad like pieces like When They Call My Name really showcase Andy’s powerful voice. Also don’t miss the return of Jinxx’s strings on Dead Man Walking.
Ember by Breaking Benjamin: Can Ben Burnley ever go wrong? Probably not. This album, the second with the new BB lineup, is every bit as good as the previous one. It’s hard to choose a favorite but I think my top track is Feed the Wolf. As I noted on their previous album, the backup vocals by bassist Aaron Bruch really amp up the heaviness on this album, especially on tracks like Psycho & Red Cold River.
Attention, Attention by Shinedown: Shinedown’s sixth album is a concept album about depression/mental illness, largely inspired by bassist Eric Bass’s own struggles with depression. Some of the lyrics seem a bit cryptic at times but once you realize the basis of the album it all makes sense. Don’t-miss tracks include heavy hitting Devil & Brilliant, the latter of which probably has the fastest drums & the most metal sound I’ve ever heard from Shinedown (don’t let the gentle beginning fool you). Lyrically songs like Monsters & Get Up are especially strong. My personal favorite is Special which encourages us to stop wallowing in self pity & take control of our own lives.
Disobey by Bad Wolves: Even if you don’t like rock music, you’ve probably heard Bad Wolves’s enchanting cover of The Cranberries’ classic song Zombie (if you haven’t you must check it out NOW!). What you might not know is that the band was set to record with Cranberries singer Delores O’Riordan on the very day that she died. The band has subsequently donated profits from the song to O’Riordan’s family as a way to honor her. Most of the songs on this album are far heavier than Zombie but another easily accessible track is Hear Me Now. My favorites among the heavier songs are No Masters, Learn to Live, & Remember When, the last of which was inspired by singer Tommy Vext’s twin brother who almost killed him several years ago (no joke). [P.S. In case you thought there weren’t any black men in rock, check out singer Tommy Vext.]
Evolution by Disturbed: Evolution is an appropriate title for this album because it definitely represents an evolution in the band’s sound. Songs like Are You Ready & The Best Ones Lie are classic Disturbed without a doubt. But there are far more ballads on this album than any previous disc, largely inspired by the success of the band’s The Sound of Silence cover from their previous album. None of the ballads matches the pure magic of that song (not sure that anything ever could) but it’s nice to see the band expanding their sound & capitalizing on David’s amazing voice. My personal favorite on this disc is David’s response to all the Social Justice Warriors in Savior of Nothing.
Victim of the New Disease by All That Remains: If you’re familiar with my political beliefs you probably know that I’m a huge fan of fellow Libertarian Phil Labonte, the lead singer of ATR. The last ATR album was good but it doesn’t hold a candle to this year’s effort. Victim of the New Disease was largely inspired by Phil’s divorce & while I’m sorry for the pain he suffered because of that the world is definitely benefiting from the music he wrote while working through that pain. Songs like F**k Love ensure that this is the heaviest ATR album in years. But my personal favorites are some of the more moderate songs like Just Tell Me Something (which features Danny Worsnop of Asking Alexandria- brilliant!) & Broken. The acoustic Alone in the Darkness is also a great listen.
Stranger Fruit by Zeal & Ardor: I have my husband to thank for introducing me to this band whom he discovered on Liquid Metal on Sirius XM satellite radio. Zeal & Ardor are a Swiss band whose lead singer was born to a Swiss man & an African American woman. If you ever wondered what it would sound like to combine metal + gospel + blues, this is it. That sounds like an equation that is doomed to failure but strangely enough it’s actually damn good. You won’t find much more unique, diverse music than this, I can guarantee you that. Check out Ship on Fire, Row, Row, & Gravedigger’s Chant. Better yet, just listen to the whole album. I promise you will not be disappointed.
Firepower by Judas Priest: I first heard Evil Never Dies on satellite radio maybe a month ago & I immediately fell in love & knew I had to buy this album. Judas Priest are a bit before my time & I have to admit I’ve never gotten into them before this album (shame on me). But wow, what an album to dive into! There isn’t a bad track on here but some of my favorites include the aforementioned Evil Never Dies, Lightning Strike, Firepower, & Necromancer.
Desperate Man by Eric Church: You guys, I’m so out of touch with country music these days that I didn’t even realize until last week that my favorite country artist had released an album back in October. I guess it doesn’t help that Eric Church has no real social media presence but I can’t complain because that is one thing I admire about him, that he guards his private life so preciously. Anyway, Desperate Man is definitely Church’s most stripped-down album to date. I’ll admit I miss some of the bombast of The Outsiders but there’s no denying Church’s lyrical genius is in tip top form on this album. The title track is one you should definitely not miss as is The Snake, Church’s take on the current political situation in the U.S. Other favorites of mine include Monsters, Drowning Man, & Solid.
And Justice For None by Five Finger Death Punch: FFDP have never put out a bad album but this year’s effort proves they are at the very top of their game & is my choice for best album of 2018. With Ivan Moody (as well as all the other band members) finally sober, the band is in better shape than ever. If you’re curious about the unusual album title, guitarist Zoltan Bathory does a good job of explaining it here. There isn’t a bad song on this album & picking a favorite is nigh impossible, but if I had to pick only one song to share it would be I Refuse. This has to be one of the most emotionally powerful songs FFDP have ever written. Even if you normally don’t like rock/metal, you MUST listen to this one- not only is it lyrically beautiful but the acoustic guitar solo by Jason Hook is a real winner. Fortunately I CAN share more than one song so please also check out Fire in the Hole (which sounds like a metal pirate song), Will the Sun Ever Rise, & Sham Pain. The last is a play on the word champagne & is proof that the band don’t take themselves too seriously. Watch the video for a good laugh! FFDP have done many great cover songs over the years & this album includes two great ones, my favorite of which is Blue on Black. With a good mixture of ballads & more traditional heavier fare, FFDP created the perfect album that makes you want to just keep playing it over & over & over. Don’t miss it!

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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!

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.

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 . . .

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

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.

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!

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.

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.And 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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Things I Learned From Rock & Roll

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about things I’ve learned from country music & stated that I would be writing a similar post for each major genre of music. Naturally my next post for this theme is about rock & roll since that is my favorite type of music. I tried very hard to narrow this list down to five songs like I did for the last post but I just couldn’t do it, so I decided that since rock is my favorite genre it wouldn’t be too superfluous to choose a few more songs. Besides unlike writing for school assignments, this is my blog so I can make the rules. Ha! 😉

Please do be advised that some of these songs are not totally G-rated as far as some of the words are concerned (but, hey, that’s rock & roll, right?).

These are in no particular order.

1. Unity by Shinedown: To anyone who thinks that rock & roll is all about drugs & “darkness,” please listen to this song. In my opinion this is one of the most inspiring, hopeful songs I’ve ever heard. I’ve seen Shinedown in concert twice & both times their live performance of this song has been incredibly powerful. The message of this song to me is that no matter how scared or lonely you feel, you’re never alone & there is always hope. And “your moment of truth is the day that you say ‘I’m not scared,'” which to me means not so much that you’re no longer afraid of the darkness but that you’re facing it anyway. After all true courage is not the absence of fear but rather the willingness to proceed despite fear. Perhaps the best way to sum up this song are the lines Brent Smith, the lead singer, says at the beginning of the music video: “We will not fall because we have each other. We will not fall because we are brothers. We will not fall because we have love. We will not fall because we will rise above.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gVdi6sizeY

2. Here’s To Us by Halestorm: If you aren’t familiar with the female-fronted rock band Halestorm please do yourself a favor & head to Youtube right this minute to check out their fantastic music. This song is a great place to start, though it’s a bit softer than their average piece. This is a song that celebrates the transience of life & the fact that mistakes don’t have to be our downfall. Despite being somewhat softer in style, to me this song is the ultimate “I can do this” song. It’s what I listen to when I feel like I’m just barely getting by in life, when I need a pick-me-up & a reminder that no matter what life throws my way I’m capable of not just surviving but thriving regardless of the situation. The music video is also an awesome tribute to the past couple of decades of rock music (note the changes in clothes, makeup, & stage performance throughout the video). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC0DNLDXJW8

3. Justice by Rev Theory: I still remember the first time I heard this song; I was driving to Blacksburg to visit Jared. As soon as I got to Jared’s apt I pulled out my laptop to Google the song & figure out who sang it. This song was one of those “love at first listen” songs for me. To me this song is just pure adrenaline & righteous anger. It’s the perfect song to listen to when you feel you’ve been wronged by someone or when life just feels unfair, which is of course inevitable from time to time. However, if you watch the video you get the feeling that this song was written about more than just the every-day injustices of life & more about the war crimes & crimes against humanity that occur throughout the world. In any case, it’s a fabulous piece of rock & roll that you should seriously check out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5N80tNDCGg

4. Weathered by Creed: This is one of those songs that speaks to the difficulties & sorrows of life & how sometimes we just feel like we’re barely holding together, barely making it from day to day. We’ve all had times in life when we feel like that for whatever reason. What makes this song so special to me is that it addresses those feelings without holding back, without trying to conceal how ugly & despairing we can feel at times, while also giving hope that there is more to life than this darkness. My favorite lines are these:

“Take all this pride/And leave it behind/Because one day it ends/One day we die/Believe what you will/That is your right/But I choose to win/So I choose to fight.” These lines remind us that life is too short to stay miserable forever & that in order to succeed in life we must never give up the fight. Sometimes that means laying down our pride, asking for forgiveness (from ourselves as well as from others), & pushing onward. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu0VRsVCQ48

5. Wrong Side of Heaven by Five Finger Death Punch: If you’re not familiar with Five Finger Death Punch (FFDP) please do yourself yet another favor & look them up on Youtube immediately. Ivan Moody’s brooding voice combined with the fantastic musicianship of the other band members makes for some seriously epic music. I don’t think they’ve ever made a song that I didn’t like. Though it’s difficult to choose, Wrong Side of Heaven is certainly one of their best pieces. This song describes the eternal battle between good & evil that exists inside all of us. The lyrics refer to God as a “she” so if that offends you, I’m sorry that you will miss out on such an amazing song. Wrong Side of Heaven describes how as adults we are faced with the startling realization that right & wrong are often not as easily recognized as we would like them to be & that at some points in life we are all going to be disappointed with the choices we make (“What have I done, who have I become?”). In spite of this though we cannot take the easy way out & blame the devil or anyone else for our bad choices (“I spoke to the devil today, and he swears he’s not to blame/And I understood, ’cause I feel the same”). This song resonates so much with me because I feel like the battle between right & wrong is something each of us faces every single day & we are all at times “on the wrong side of heaven & the righteous side of hell.” Perhaps another reason this song speaks to me so much is that I often feel like I am caught in the middle with my friends because I am more conservative than my liberal friends & more liberal than my conservative friends. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsCp3l815G8

6. All I’m Dreaming Of by Black Stone Cherry: Black Stone Cherry is an awesome rock band with a lot of Southern rock influences that are sadly not as well known as they should be. Their entire album from which this song comes is fabulous. All I’m Dreaming Of is a gorgeous song that speaks to the need for more love in the world. I think the best way to show the power of this song is simply to share some of the lyrics, so here are some of my favorite lines from the piece: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I60g8Vfr0xs

Something about our world today
That makes me wanna cry
There’s too much anger and too much pain
Too much money and too many lies
If I could have one wish tonight
I would beg of us to forget our pride
If we could do just one thing right,
We could help each other to love our lives

All I’m dreamin of is good times, good friends, and somebody to love
All I’m dreamin of is no fears, no tears, and blue skies up above

7. It’s My Life by Bon Jovi: To me this song encapsulates so much of the traditional spirit of rock & roll. This song celebrates the idea that life is short so we better make the most of it while we can. Sometimes that means doing things our way & disregarding the opinions of others, even those who mean well but don’t agree with us for whatever reason. I certainly don’t think that we should seek to have fun at the expense of others or disregard our work/school/family obligations in search of fun, but I do think we should seek to enjoy our lives as much as possible. For after all if we don’t enjoy life, why are we here? To me this song embodies the idea that instead of asking why we should do something we ought to be asking “why not?” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SKFwtgUJHs

I could write about so many more songs but then this post would be long & probably boring. To me rock & roll encompasses the whole spectrum of human emotion & that’s what makes it so powerful. Please check out some of these pieces if you’re not familiar with them; I promise they won’t disappoint. As someone who once thought rock & roll was of the devil & generally grating to the ears, I can now say I’ve learned there is so much more to it than initially meets the eye (or should I say the ear?) & it’s well-worth your time to invest in some good rock music. You never know, it might even become your new favorite genre, as it has for me!

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Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover

Yesterday I renewed my gym membership and in the process of doing so someone said something to me that I hear quite often which got me thinking that this could make for an interesting blog post. So here goes.

After I paid for my annual membership, I told the gym manager that as a paying customer I thought he should consider changing up the music selection a bit because I’m tired of hearing Britney Spears every time I work out. The manager asked me what I would prefer & I told him that to be honest a lot of the music I like probably wouldn’t be appropriate for the gym because a lot of people are much more easily offended than I am, but nonetheless a few hard rock songs here & there would be a refreshing change of pace. The manager, who is a man probably in his mid 30’s, told me what I have heard so many time before. “You just don’t seem like the kind of girl who would be into rock music. You’re too nice & soft-spoken.”

[Ok, those of you who really know me should get a good laugh about the soft-spoken part of that comment!]

The real crux of this scenario is that I am often told I seem “too nice” to like rock music. I just don’t understand where our society gets the idea that a “nice” person can’t like hard rock or heavy metal. This is 2013 & yet people who like this kind of music are still invariably considered “weird, different, mean, angry,” and a whole lot of other generally negative adjectives. Now let me give you a little background about how I got into this kind of music before I explain why it’s my favorite genre.

I grew up thinking rock music = devil music. I had no interest in it & on the rare occasions that I actually heard real rock/metal I hated it. I honestly couldn’t understand how anyone could like this stuff. However, as I got into high school I started hearing a few more rock songs here & there, & I gradually, gradually began to realize that there is so much more than initially meets the eye (or should I say the ear?) with this type of music. Once I got to college & finally had the freedom to listen to whatever kind of music I wanted, I gradually began discovering all kinds of music that I never even knew existed: European symphonic metal bands like Nightwish, American metal bands like Five Finger Death Punch, and so much more. I soon realized that I loved this music, & I think after a solid six years of listening to rock/metal more than any other genre I am finally figuring out why this music appeals to me so much.

Anyone who has glanced at my iTunes collection knows that I like a little bit of everything. My music collection spans everything from Alice in Chains to Godsmack to Toby Keith to Eric Church to Flo Rida to Lady Gaga to Beethoven to Mussorgsky. In short, there really isn’t any genre of music I don’t like. Some, like rap & bluegrass, aren’t my favorites but there are still certain pieces from those genres that I do really enjoy. However, I think the reason rock music speaks to me so much is its brutal honesty.

By comparison, rap music so often celebrates an urban, party-it-up or “gangtsa” lifestyle that exists only in manufactured music videos. Country music too celebrates a lifestyle that doesn’t actually exist in real life. Trust me, I grew up in small town America & I can tell you from experience that the only country music singers who consistently tell the truth about rural life are Eric Church & Kacey Musgraves, especially the latter. It ain’t always a pretty picture either. The vast majority of modern pop music is so superficial & vapid as to hardly be worth mentioning. (I’ll discuss classical music in another post some day. As many of you know, I am a total classical music junkie.)

So that brings us back to rock music. Yes, the stereotype is that rock music celebrates sex, drugs, & devil worship & generally seeks to push the envelope in every possible way. Sure, there are a few groups whose music focuses largely on those things. But would you judge all Christians based on Westboro Baptist Church or all Muslims on the 9/11 terrorists? I certainly hope not. You cannot make an accurate judgment about any group based on its most extreme members. That is just unscientific.

People often say that rock music makes people angry or inspires people to commit terrible acts of murder & violence. I say music is music. Nothing more, nothing less. If someone’s mind is so twisted & sick as to commit heinous violent acts, music isn’t to blame. The person is. I say music is perhaps the greatest form of therapy known to mankind. If you listen to enough rock you’ll find that every emotion you’ve ever felt is covered in this music, from love to anger to jealousy to confusion to pain to joy. It’s all there. And it’s all expressed in an outlet that cannot possibly harm anyone. We all get angry sometimes & experience other “negative” emotions. That is not a sin. Emotions are what make us human; they are what tells us we are still alive. It’s what we do with these emotions that can be sinful at times. (If you want to read more about this fascinating topic, check out Corey Taylor’s book “The Seven Deadly Sins.” It is without a doubt one of the most intriguing & well-written books I’ve ever read.) What better way to express your anger or hate than through a song? It’s much preferable to actually hurting someone or bottling it all up inside so that inevitably you explode. Besides, what other kind of music pumps you up enough to make you want to finish that grueling workout at the gym or to stay up all night caring for sick people? On my way to work I invariably pop in a fist-pumping rock album & by the time I get to the hospital I am ready to face whatever comes my way.

So in summary, no, I don’t have tattoos or unorthodox body piercings. I don’t dress in all black or wear dog collars around my neck. I don’t give a crap if other people do those things but they just aren’t for me. I am not an angry person who hates the world. But I do love rock music. I am proud to be a headbanger. And some day I hope that the world will realize that rock stars & their fans are some of the kindest people in the world. And more importantly I hope our society will learn the greater lesson here: don’t judge a book by its cover because we are all more than meets the eye.

So what do y’all think? For those of you know me, is it really that surprising that I like this kind of music? If so, why? Or better yet, have you experienced anything similar to this where people are surprised to find out you like a certain type of music or whatever?

In the spirit of the post I’m including a link to one of my favorite rock bands, Pop Evil. I have been following them religiously for a few years & own all three of their albums, so naturally I am very happy to see them finally getting some great radio airtime with their latest hit, “Trenches.” (Ladies, google Leigh Kakaty & I promise you will thank me.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWdtN7pCZug

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