Metal
Noah’s Barks pages relating to the metal music genre. Combine with other tags for subgenres, e.g. “alternative+metal,” “funk+metal,” “industrial+metal.”
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Elder – “Dead Roots Stirring”
Whew, Elder seem even more Black Sabbath-inspired than most stoner metal bands. Even the vocalist sounds like he’s trying to do his best Ozzy Osbourne impersonation. The guitarist plays slow, lurching Iommi-like riffs, though it seems that his guitar isn’t tuned as low as the legendary guitarist’s. This might make Dead Roots Stirring more “listener… (read more)
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Alice in Chains – “MTV Unplugged”
“Unplugged” albums are kind of a catch-22. It seems most often that their best tracks are ones that work naturally in an acoustic setting, and that’s usually because they’re similar to their original recordings in the first place. In that case, why redo an already mellow, stripped-back song? On the other hand, if you try… (read more)
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Black Sabbath – “Paranoid”
Paranoid is the “classic” Black Sabbath album, and for good reason. It’s the kind of album in an artist’s discography that’s the most acclaimed because it strikes the best middle ground that appeals to the widest audience. The traditional blues dirges that laid the groundwork for the band’s self-titled debut are severely toned down here,… (read more)
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Black Sabbath – “Sabotage”
Sabotage is my second-favorite Black Sabbath album after Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. There’s much less of a focus on the progressive elements, which “Hole in the Sky” makes clear with its verse-chorus-verse format. Nevertheless, “Hole in the Sky” shows Black Sabbath are still at the top of their game by penning one of the catchiest songs in… (read more)
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Alice in Chains – “Facelift”
‘Facelift’ never digs itself too deep like ‘Dirt’ is capable of, and it’s at least a less exhausting listen because of it. ‘Facelift’ brings you up; ‘Dirt’ brings you down. And some days, I’d rather be up. (read more)
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Judas Priest – “Sad Wings of Destiny”
Sad Wings of Destiny isn’t the best Judas Priest album, even though it’s good. The production job (even on the original release) is extremely flat. Halford’s vocals don’t soar like they would on later releases. The guitars are still indebted to more traditional hard rock and blues rock than the shredding, roaring heavy metal riffs… (read more)