Deftones Albums, Best To Worst (my Opinion):

Favourite song atm. Literally can’t stop listening. There’s something so undeniably transcendent about it, and this isn’t even me trying to be fancy. I legitimately think of this as a masterpiece.

Before ever trying out their music, I read up a little on tool (by that I mean I saw 3 20-minute YouTube videos). I didn’t understand what could ever be so magical about a bunch of guys that release 1 album every 10 years or so and let themselves actively hate on their fans more than any other artist I’ve seen. I also interacted with the fanbase a little bit, and that wasn’t a piece of cake either (it’s a cult guys no joke). But after actually trying them out, I immediately understood why the members get away with so much more than should be allowed and why fans are willing to pay $10,000 for a piece of merch (actually no this number is still crazy to me). I legitimately think their music is worth it.

Despite being a little too heavy (not in the musical sense, more in the emotional sense) for daily listening, tool remains one of my favourite bands. Genuinely can’t think of a better song than parabola off the top of my head, it’s just that good.

Songs of the Week (1)

1. Bodies (Sex Pistols)

Really got into Sex Pistols this week, can’t get this song out of my head. Questionable messaging aside, this song is brilliant. I rarely find myself able to separate the music from the lyrics, so being able to enjoy this so much is a big deal for me. Indescribable energy.

2. Whale & Wasp (Alice in Chains)

The Jar of Flies EP is a goldmine that just never stops giving. I don’t know what Jerry Cantrell did to make his guitar sound like an actual whale, but this song really takes me places. Breathtakingly beautiful.

3. Disintegration (The Cure)

One of the best songs off this album. I’ve wanted to make a separate post on Disintegration (the album, not the song) for a long time now, just because it’s one of those rare records that I consider to be genuinely flawless. Cried to this song multiple times, I just don’t know how to put into words what it makes me feel.

4. Estranged (Guns N Roses)

I feel like this is an obvious one but out of their entire discography, Estranged is definitely one of my favourites. Absolutely adore Slash’s solos in this one, especially the fact that at some point the guitar becomes a second voice on equal standing with Axl’s vocals. Heartbreaking. Could cry to this for hours, no joke.

5. Guerrilla Radio (Rage Against the Machine)

One of my favourites off of The Battle of Los Angeles. Had the whole album on repeat a lot recently, but this song especially is a godsend. There’s something so special about finding music that you can really call yours, that really fits you. Guerrilla Radio is definitely one of those for me.

6. Problems (Sex Pistols)

I don’t know what it is with me and Sex Pistols this week but I feel like Problems is another song that translates their energy best. It’s provocative and dirty, I’m absolutely in love with it. Anything sporting raw emotion or genuine sentiment is an instant yes for me.

7. Halloween in Heaven (Type O Negative)

The first Type O Negative song in my playlist ever, mostly because I never really liked them much if I’m being honest, but the female vocals somewhere around the middle of the song really won me over. I’ll check out some more stuff from Dead Again, we’ll see where it goes.

does he ever jump into the crowd normally or no

crying rn

Alice In Chains, Nutshell, MTV Unplugged, 1996

This video is literally a piece of art.

I rarely connect with something on such an intense level, but in this case I can confidently say that I agree with like 99% of the things that were said.

I’m going to be honest here and admit that I was never really interested in The Beatles; that is not to say that I hate their music, it’s just that I don’t actively go out of my way to listen to it. I was also never really into the whole Yoko controversy, mostly because I felt like I didn’t know enough about the whole situation to take part in the discourse or to make my own claims. However, this video still really did it for me, mostly because while it does talk (in depth) about the intricacies of the breakup and assassination, it focuses mostly on the twisted narrative of ‘the evil woman that manipulated and destroyed the genius of a sensitive and accomplished man.’ I never really thought about how often we fall for it as a society or how popular it really is in today’s pop culture.

I absolutely loved the segment about Kurt Cobain and the ‘Courtney killed him’ conspiracy, as well as how passionate the author is about defending women in the industry by calling out those that villainise them without idealising these women in the process. I guess what I’m trying to say is that the overall argument is very cohesive and balanced and doesn’t let it sway too much in one direction.

I wholeheartedly recommend anyone with 2 hours to spare to give this a watch. Even I with my fried attention span was able to enjoy it, and I also just think that it’s beautifully made.

if it wasn’t obvious that I fucking love bassists yet, here are cliff burton and jason newsted because I believe they deserve so much more recognition than they get. even though I am admittedly not the biggest fan of metallica (I don’t hate them dw, their music and actions just aren’t always my thing), I can recognise the fucking powerhouses that both cliff and jason were as part of the band.

first of all, like half of the members wouldn’t know basic music theory and chord progressions if it wasn’t for cliff. if I’m not mistaken, he had to teach lars and james what sixteenth notes were. that was how bad things were. like this guy literally MADE metallica, they would legitimately be lost without him.

not to mention cliff’s fantastic work on bass and just insane abundance of musical talent. I personally consider him to be the best musician in metallica, period. rip cliff I fucking love you.

and jason newsted, despite receiving a less than warm welcome after joining the band, managed to build a reputation as one of metallica’s greatest live performers and the unarguable soul of the band. again, fucking love this dude, wish his potential wasn’t crushed and he was allowed to express creatively. what they did to his sound on justice is upsetting to this day.

love these guys.

CAN WE PLEASE TALK ABOUT THE I DISAPPEAR MV BECAUSE KIRK LOOKS SO DELICIOUS THERE IM TIRED OF DENYING IT

I wanted to attach a picture but unfortunately the stills are horrendous :((

FUCK YOU I WONT DO WHAT YOU TELL ME

Songs of the Week (3)

1. Junkhead (Alice in Chains)

This was definitely an Alice in Chains week for me. Seasonal depression or whatever people choose to call it had me playing Dirt on repeat, and Junkhead is such an obvious standout (for me personally) that I just had to include it here. This song is so confident in what it wants to be that every listen feels different and it’s impossible to get tired of. Lyrical content and context aside, it’s a positive and enjoyable listen every single time.

2. Fist (Deftones)

Since Adrenaline’s 29th anniversary was a couple weeks ago and I forgot to make a post about it, I’m honoring it here. Besides, it was about time I added a Deftones song to one of these; just because there’s less of them in my daily rotation doesn’t mean I love the band any less. Fist is technically a hidden track, meaning that many forget about it when talking about Adrenaline, which I think is incredibly unfair. Fist is absolutely bewitching, a beautiful track that doesn’t really fit with the rest of the album, but it’s such a gorgeous addition that I could never have the heart to critique it.

3. Mic Check (Rage Against the Machine)

Is it obvious that I love the Battle of Los Angeles yet? I love how inventive this song is, what is done with the guitar and the vocal effects. It’s a little too out there to play in the car or public places, but god is it beautiful. One of the best tracks off the album.

4. Riders On The Storm (The Doors)

I’m switching it up a little this week. I don’t know what it is, maybe it’s the weather, but for some reason this song easily made it into my daily rotation. I don’t listen to The Doors much so this feels like a very welcome change. It’s so charming and confident and beautiful that sometimes I put it on just to calm myself down.

5. I Know Something (Alice in Chains)

I fucking love Facelift and this song is one of the main reasons why. I adore the bass on this one and the way it blends with Jerry Cantrell’s guitar is insane. It’s weirdly positive and upbeat for this album and Alice in Chains in general but in the best way possible; it brings a kind of funkness (is that even a word) to their work I really appreciate. An overall amazing listen, so captivating.

6. Jimmy Recard (Drapht)

This song was introduced to me by my stepdad and it’s actually one of the biggest reasons I love it so much. Music is one of our main bonding points and it’s just always so beautiful to have people you love give you a glimpse of their music taste (especially if the taste is stellar). I tend to gravitate towards music that’s a little different from Drapht, which only makes songs like these all the more interesting to me. Absolute banger.

7. Sober (TOOL)

Sober is this week’s TOOL song because apparently I need to have one on every single one of these. If I’m being completely honest, I haven’t checked out any other tracks from Undertow, but if Sober is anything to go by this album fucking rocks. As always, the lyrics are amazing, the vocals are as intense as can be, the atmosphere is transcendental, and the passion is out of this world. I have such a deep appreciation for this track because let’s be honest, there’s nothing like TOOL out there and this is an integral part of their origins.

cuties

I think people underestimate the significance of Chi Cheng to Deftones. While I believe Chino’s lyrics are the perfect fit for their music and he’s an incredibly talented lyricist, let’s not forget that it was Chi that studied English, it was Chi that was a poet (if you haven’t looked into The Bamboo Parachute yet PLEASE DO it is so worth it). In other words, Deftones always had someone to fall back on if Chino couldn’t deliver (I’m not saying he ever couldn’t, but just the added security Im sure meant volumes), and the only reason Chino was the primary lyricist was because Chi believed he was amazing (lost the interview he said this in but you know what I mean). I really do believe the world lost an incredibly bright soul when Chi died.