Because I got a little rushed (and WordPress ate my completed post) this week’s Metal Tuesday won’t have lyrics. Anyways, for your consideration, Motohead’s “Ace of Spades.”

Seven Rounds in the Mag

I’m cheating and not giving you a single song today. Instead, you get a whirlwind tour of the heavier side of metal the Derek doesn’t wander down. (Derek Edit: Because The Brother was so prolific with his song choices, there aren’t lyrics for these.)

Clawmaster by Ghost Brigade

Closer to last week’s Insomnium with gloomy, melodic sound. A soft one to get you started.

Cry of Black Birds by Amon Amarth

Masters of Viking Death Metal! Catchy, heavy, and consistently great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSJWOV44Otc

Autotheism by The Faceless

The Faceless‘s earlier albums were a more brutal form of Technical Death Metal, but 2012’s Autotheism was a masterpiece that brought in more progressive sensibilities.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGKkE9YxUv8

A Vow to Conquer the Ocean by In Mourning

In Mourning are an amazing band, kind of a like a blend of Opeth and Insomnium and last year’s The Weight of Oceans was their best album in my opinion.

Forsaker by Katatonia

Back to the softer side, Katatonia started out as a basic death metal band but have become the masters of their own breed of heavy, depressive metal. Their last four albums have been exemplary.

Winteryear by Maitreya

Holy crap I wish Maitreya had released more than just 2007’s New World Prophecy. Both the songs and the album as a whole swings from quiet and calming to hammering and violent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kyYldG8Vz0

Lightning & Snow by Woods of Ypres

2012’s Woods 5: Grey Skies and Electric Light was Wood’s of Ypres‘s last album due to mastermind and frontman David Gold’s death. Though Wood‘s whole catalogue is solid, Woods 5 was a masterpiece.

Insomnium is a wonderful of expression of thundering rage heavily tinted with melodic melancholy. Every single album of their’s has been excellent and you can see their songwriting ability grow and mature from release to release.

Last week’s Disillusion may have my favorite album, but Insomnium are my favorite band. Hell, I dragged Derek from Florida to D.C. to see them in concert. (Derek Note: I went to go see two things: Alestorm and the NRA Museum.)

Picking a single song is difficult but I finally decided on Mortal Share off of Above the Weeping World.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5IpHczLeV8

Lyrics:

In their lofty chambers dwell
The sacred and divine
Resting in seraphic bliss
The timeless and sublime

Far above the mortal sphere
Dreaming without a care
Far above the weeping world
Sleeping amidst the light of stars

Too far away to hear our calls
Too far away to care at all

On the burnished thrones they sit
Might in their blazing eyes
Vault of heaven at their feet
Undying flames inside

Never shall decay or death
Touch on the blithe souls
Sorrowless the days of gods
Amidst the everblooming groves

But where do we lay our heads to rest?
Where do we shelter when the night falls?

For the part of man
Is to take the somber path
Stumble in the dark
Stray amidst the dust and ash

Like forgotten ghosts
Drifting in the driving wind
Dashing towards the void
Whirling blindly through the night

Like water flung from the highest cliff
We fall,
lunge,
swirl,
dissolve,
and fade away
Down into the unknown

The first of The Brother’s Choice entries:

Disillusion’s Back to the Times of Splendor is my favorite album of all time. The album is catchy and complex, swinging between melodic calm and frenetic rage. It just sings to me and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

This track is probably the most accessible of the album (and one of the shortest as well).

If you dig this, I would also suggest the previous Three Neuron Kings and The Porter EPs. The follow-up album, Gloria, has hints of Back to the Times of Splendor but is a major departure from the previous albums.

Lyrics:

Deep it must have been
The thorn that spread a veil of constancy
Times in stalemate, times of certitude
Again and again this wound
It’s these moments
When the comfort of the bygone
And the light of long gone days
Enchant me with their hollow songs
And grasp for me with their stone-cold hands.

A new morning
Another past coming along
struggling on way too close, way too far
today I do remember
the bitter tears of fall we shed on a day like this

And both we know that you knew
pain would grow through you
But we pretended soils would flourish
from the time we turn our backs.

Saw your eyes in amber leaves
Heard your weeping in repose
Drank your tears with the water
followed your footmarks in the moss.
It’s these moments
When the comfort of the bygone
And the light of long gone days
Enchant me with their hollow songs
befool me with a sham appeal

And both we know that you knew
pain would grow through you
But we pretended soils would flourish
from the time we turn our backs.

My brother is a metal aficionado. He can rattle off band members, where they went, and side projects as quickly as I can rattle off gun history or economic theory. He’s also where I tend to get most of my music. That said, his taste in metal is more varied than mine, and tends to run darker than to what I like to listen. So, I asked, and he’s provided Metal Tuesday entries for the rest of November.

This week’s Metal Tuesday is Judas Priest’s classic “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming.”

http://youtube.com/watch?v=XWhInhE6emE

Lyrics:

One life I’m gonna live it up
I’m takin’ flight said I’ll never get enough.
Stand tall I’m young and kinda proud
I’m on top as long as the music’s loud.
If you think I’ll sit around as the world goes by
You’re thinkin’ like a fool ’cause it’s a case of do or die.
Out there is a fortune waitin’ to be had
If you think I’ll let it go you’re mad
You’ve got another thing comin’.

That’s right here’s where the talkin’ ends
Well listen this night there’ll be some action spent.
Drive hard I’m callin’ all the shots
I got an ace card comin’ down on the rocks.

If you think I’ll sit around while you chip away my brain
Listen I ain’t foolin’ and you’d better think again.
Out there is a fortune waitin’ to be had
If you think I’ll let it go you’re mad
You’ve got another thing comin’.
In this world we’re livin’ in we have our share of sorrow
Answer now is don’t give in aim for a new tomorrow.

Oh so hot no time to take a rest yeah
Act tough ain’t room for second best.
Real strong got me some security
Hey I’m a big smash I’m goin’ for infinity yeah.

This week’s Metal Tuesday is Iron Maiden’s “Wasted Years.”

The beginning riff is probably one of the best in power metal.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=fvVFg1wLtBs

Lyrics:

From the coast of gold, across the seven seas,
I’m travelling on, far and wide,
But now it seems, I’m just a stranger to myself,
And all the things I sometimes do, it isn’t me but someone else.

I close my eyes, and think of home,
Another city goes by, in the night,
Ain’t it funny how it is, you never miss it til it’s gone away,
And my heart is lying there and will be til my dying day.

Chorus:
So understand
Don’t waste your time always searching for those wasted years,
Face up… make your stand,
And realise you’re living in the golden years.

Too much time on my hands, I got you on my mind,
Can’t ease this pain, so easily,
When you can’t find the words to say, it’s hard to make it through another day,
And it makes me wanna cry, and throw my hands up to the sky.

Chorus:
So understand
Don’t waste your time always searching for those wasted years,
Face up… make your stand,
And realise you’re living in the golden years.

This week’s Metal Tuesday is Persuader’s “Doomsday News.” This is one of those songs that get stuck in my head until I burn it out through repetition.

Lyrics:

For some time I looked at the world
Through the eyes of damnation
Dark sights, they hide away from the sun
In the doomsday city I run

In a stream of cruel diminishing thoughts
Darkness shadows the light inside
People not convinced, laughing
End of mankind, wither and die

In denial the fools will carry on
A face unseen will show you what I mean
When the legions arise to destroy

Another day has come to end
No one heard my prophecy
And if tomorrow brings decay
Then it’s only my price to pay

Now look, ripping divine serpent
Slither into their minds
Destined to be, eternally
But you are the filth, and death is my God

From the grave black, rise and follow
The strong will remain
All there is left, this eternal horror
Now blood falls like rain

This week’s Metal Tuesday is Savage Circus’ “It: The Gathering.” This is a decent power metal song based on the Stephen King novel, It.

And now I want to go watch the miniseries because Tim Curry is just fucking awesome as Pennywise.

Lyrics:

What am I doing here?
What is the reason for my fear?
Something vicious buried in black
Rising up, it’s coming back

Long forgotten evil’s drawing near
Hidden down below
It stood the test of time and now it’s here

No loss of memories protecting me no more

[Chorus:]
Seven bound to the oath
Hold on forgetful
That brought us back, coming here
To end it once and for all
Hand in hand, we’re going to stand
Together again, to carry out
What must be done
The final chapter has begun

Now we’re going back in time
To fulfil the mission to seal the mine
In the underworld of the sewage pipes
The tunnels bare of light

Mortal fear makes me shiver to the bone
Down below, I’m not alone

Seven minds and but a single thought
Seven vowed to return
Seven versus the evil beast
To finally get released

A devil in disguise of a clown
Is preying on the children of the town

No loss of memories protecting me no more

[Chorus]

Now we’re at the gateway to the devil’s lair
Behind a torturous light I can feel it stare
It is awaiting like spider in the web
Seven against you now, the final attack

No loss of memories, the gathering is fulfilled

[Chorus]

This week’s Metal Tuesday is Rebellion’s “Eric the Red.” This plain, good, ole Viking Metal!

Lyrics:

Away from Iceland’s shores I must,
the king says I must go
Some neighbours asked a fight with me
and I laid their bodies low

Now my face is in the wind again
and friends are by my side
The green land we are looking for
and we trust in Odin’s might

Come join me now I know the way,
(We’ll be free!)
No king to rule us down
(Ride the sea!)
Man the boats and hoist the sails,
(All hands on deck!)
There’s land to find I know,
(Don’t look back!)

Through the wind and storm I’ll carry on
To a new land where the sun will dawn
In the wind and storm I’ll raise my head
Eric the Red

My son I see the fire in your eyes
as I felt when I was young
And I’ve listened to the Skalds and tales, you’ve gotta go as I have done

But it’s your way Leif Eriksson,
the Red has come too old
The Vinland you will find I know,
Ride the wind be strong and bold

Come join me now I know the way,
(We’ll be free!)
No king to rule us down
(Ride the sea!)
Man the boats and hoist the sails,
(All hands on deck!)
There’s land to find I know,
(Don’t look back!)

Through the wind and storm I’ll carry on
To a new land where the sun will dawn
In the wind and storm I’ll raise my head
Eric the Red