Thursday: Buckethead - We Are One

     I know, I know, every time I do a Buckethead song for Throwback Thursday, it's always from 2005's collaborative Buckethead & Friends album Enter the Chicken. What gives, I hear you hardcore bucket heads asking? I know the bucketed one has put out an absolute ton of material both before and since Enter the Chicken (much of which I will readily confess to not having heard) but the combination of timing in my life and a great lineup of guest vocalists has cemented this record's spot at the top of my own personal bucket.

     So what song could I possibly have left to do from this one? Why, the functional first song from the record, the badass "We Are One". The combination of energetic, spastic guitar and energetic, spastic Serj Tankian has made this one a winner for me ever since I first heard it. Plus it's got a wacky taxidermy-themed video that's sure to give the faint of heart nightmares about reanimated roadkill. Fun!

Saturday Afternoon Double Header

     I wanted to post a song yesterday evening. I really did. But saving the world from the machinations of Nazi Germany (aka playing Axis and Allies for like five or six hours) got in the way. I apologize for defending your freedoms. No need to thank me.

     So first up this afternoon we have a song for yesterday, and since WW2 was the order of the evening, we're stepping into the musical history books of my youth and going with System of a Down's "War?" from their self-titled debut.

     For today's song we'll pick something a little more current. Well, a lot more current. Protest the Hero's Volition came out officially this past Tuesday (a couple of songs/videos had already been released before it leaked a week or two ago) and now that I've had some time to spend with my copy, I for one can say that it slays.

     I'm still undecided as to where I'd rank it in the Protest canon, but I have decided that it is, at the very least, a worth addition to said canon. Soaring vocals? Check. Badass, quick-fingered guitar riffs? Check. Bass that actually does something besides follow the guitar? Check there too. And tight, machine-like drumming from Chris Adler? Double check.

     "Yellow Teeth" has all of the above, so check it out as yet another example of just how solid a record the boys in Protest have put together in Volition. Unfortunately, there aren't a whole lot of rip of this album yet on Youtube, so you'll have to just have to go stream the whole album, paying special attention to track five for that yellow goodness. Have at 'er!

Song of the Day: System of a Down - Know

     Sometimes shuffle is my enemy. I'm sure you know the feeling: you don't know what you want to hear right now, but it's sure as shit not that. Or that. Or that. Or that... Every song is your least favourite in that moment, every band just not what you're in the mood for. But sometimes, oh sometimes, shuffle has my back.

Song of the Day: System of a Down - Snowblind

     We've had another snow day here in Kingston, so I've raided my memory banks for good snow-related songs. I think the song I've chosen for today qualifies.

Song of the Day: System of a Down - Chop Suey!

     Thinking about good time metal as I was after yesterday's Pantera song, it occurred to me that of all the heavyish music I can think of, a few bands stand out as ones that can unite a group behind a rousing chorus without fail. System of a Down is one of those bands.

Song of the Day: System of a Down - Toxicity

     Due to the high cost of operting the Wayback Machine, we're spending at least another day in my high school past. Which band are we dealing with today? I'll give you a hint: I saw these guys live this year.

Heavy TO Pit Report - Part 1: The Bands

     I told you I'd have some thoughts from Heavy TO, and here they are, even if it did take me a week to write them down. And I have so many thoughts that I think I'm going to make this a two-parter. In this first installment, I'm going to go through each of the bands we actually payed attention to (ie: the ones we went to see) and give little baby reviews of their sets. I'm not going to try and remember set lists or anything like that (mostly because it's 2012 and the Internet does that shit for me), I'm just going to give you my impressions of each band's performance. So let's go!

Song of the Day: System of a Down - Soil

     Well kids, Heavy TO is almost here (or if you're going today or for both days, it's here already, you lucky sod!) So I've got one more day of preparatory listening for you to do, and if you've been following along (both with me and with the Heavy line-up) then you should be able to tell me who today's song is by (without looking at the title of this post, smart ass). Give up? Quitter. It's System of a Down.