One Hour of Metal is where I either put my iTunes on shuffle or tune into a metal internet radio station and for one hour I document what I hear. The good, the bad and the downright awful are always represented with honesty in this segment. Some hours are better than others as you will see in this series.
This time around I just put the iTunes on shuffle and let it go. Kind of like a Russian Roulette of sorts. Pretty scare because you never know just what your going to get. So let’s get started shall we?
3 Inches of Blood – Trial of Champions
There are few things better than starting off a challenge with 3 Inches of Blood. Every time I hear this band it makes me want to see them live again. Such a great fucking song that just totally gets my blood pumping and makes me just wanna drink PBRs and crush the cans over my head… or someone else’s head for that matter.
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Crobot – Weigh Me Down
I fucking love me some Crobot. The boys have been experiencing some much deserved success with the release of their latest album but this classic from their debut always blows me away. It’s got such a funky psychedelic groove to it. Brandon Yeagly is one of the best singers out there today without a doubt. I love this song.
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Iron Maiden – Run to the Hills (LIVE)
Live After Death man. Damn what a powerhouse live album. This version of Run to the Hills is so fucking bad ass that you can literally feel the energy of this performance coming through the speakers. It’s no secret to any Maiden fan that seeing them live is the way to go and luckily we have quite a few live albums that capture that energy and excitement. Live After Death is still hands down one of my all-time favorite live albums and this track just reminds me of that.
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Cathedral – Phaser Quest
Supernatural Birth Machine is an album that I sadly ignored but after hearing this song it just reminds me that I really need to go and jam me some Cathedral. Lee Dorian is a weird motherfucker but he’s so fucking bad ass. There’s a reason Cathedral is held in the highest regard as the kings of this genre of music. This song is just so fucking good. Makes me wanna call in sick and smoke a big ol’ bowl. Yeah.
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Riotgod – The Time is Now
That debut Riotgod album was lightning captured in a bottle. That whole album is solid and this particular song is one of my favorite songs on this album. The follow up wasn’t as great but their latest one is the fucking shit. I wish this band got more attention than they did. I’ve yet to see Riotgod live as they have never made it to Atlanta. I hope that will change eventually. Great song from a great band.
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Kadavar – Creature of the Demon
Whenever a Kadavar song comes on I suddenly feel like I’m in 1969 or something. The raw, gritty production and those vocals just fucking kill my face every time. I’m so lucky that I got to see these guys twice this year and both times they kicked my ass and melted my face in a huge way. This song is so fucking rad. Just that title. Creature of the Demon. What the fuck does that mean? It means it’s fucking Kadavar and its fucking awesome. Sometimes just having your face melted doesn’t need to make any sense. This song kills.
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Jess and the Ancient Ones – Prayer for Fire and Death
This band is without a doubt one of my all-time favorite bands. Ever since hearing “Astral Sabbat” I was sold but hearing this full debut album and seeing them live just sealed the deal. This particular song just kicks so much ass. I just love all the changes, the layers, and warm production and soulful vocals of Jess herself. This is just an all-out kick ass song that always blows my mind when I hear it.
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King Diamond – The Family Ghost
King Diamond is so over the fucking top awesome. It’s like, it’s so over the top that it makes me laugh but in a great way. Like that kind of laugh where you just laugh because you can’t even believe how fucking awesome this shit is that is killing your face. The Family Ghost is definitely one of my favorite songs. I’m so pumped I got to see him live this year and hear this one.
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Dio – Hey Angel
Lock Up the Wolves is an album that I totally find myself loving more and more the older I get. This song is such a great, classic piece of Dio. Every time I hear Dio, I miss him and I wish he was still around. I’m so lucky to have had the opportunity to see Dio a few times live so his greatness never fell short on me. This is such a great song that totally reminds me that I really do need some more Dio in my diet these days. Great fucking song.
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Gypsyhawk – Resentment City
This is such a great song and in all honesty, this is the Gypsyhawk I love the most. I loved watching the band grow and take to the road like the dogs they were but this, in my opinion, is the Hawk at their best. I really love this song and much like with the Dio song, this song reminds me how much I loved their debut album and that I need to bust that one out again soon.
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Aerosmith – Toys in the Attic
I always find it funny that Aerosmith shows up in the “metal” category but I tagged them as metal so whatevs. This song is so fucking cool and it never gets old to me. It also serves as a reminder of just how great of a fucking band you can be when all you do is snort a bunch of cocaine and drink so fucking much that you can never even remember making an album. This song is just as bad ass now as it was back in the day. Timeless classic for sure.
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Whitesnake – Crying in the Rain
When I was younger and totally into hair metal Whitesnake, I picked up a copy of the album Saints and Sinners. On that album was a version of Crying in the Rain and I remember thinking, “This sucks and it sounds old.” Well, 20+ years later this version is absolutely mind blowing and the guitar work on this track just totally melts my face. Isn’t it ironic that the older I get, it’s the old Whitesnake stuff that holds up better than the later years stuff? Go figure.
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Ratt – Closer to My Heart
Definitely not my favorite RATT song but ya know what? It definitely doesn’t suck and in all honesty, I kind of found myself digging this particular track more than I remembered. Ratt n’ roll baby!
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