Editorial

This little exercise is a monthly feature as you, the loyal Heavy Metal Comedy reader, can take a glimpse into my iPod and see what I got on there, metal and otherwise. Some have been great, others have been, well, I've been called some bad names. And with the Contact page, you can share your own playlist if you dare. Grab your iPod, hit 'Shuffle Songs' and discuss the first ten that come up. Here is Defending the Playlist: February 2010.

1. 'Honestly' by Stryper. We all know I like glam rock right? This is hardly surprising. Shit, I saw these dudes in concert just a few months ago. They sounded pretty good. All that clean living does wonders. I put this song on before a hockey game to get fired up. And by hockey game, I mean gay sex.
2. 'Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment' by Static-X. These dudes do good covers. This song, 'Burning Inside,' 'Beyond the Wall of Sleep,' all quality covers. There is a Ramones tribute album called 'We're a Happy Family' that is worth picking up. This song ain't on it though.
3. '12:51' by The Strokes. Are these dudes still considered a hipster band, or have they graduated to just simply being a solid, rock 'n roll band? Their downfall is that they are painfully boring live. I get the whole 'I ain't moving, I'm just gonna sing' thing. Liam Gallagher perfected it. Ozzy has been relegated to it at this point. This dude just blows. Great album though.
4. 'Mine are the Eyes of God' by Corrosion of Conformity. Over the last two years, my appreciation for stoner rock has really grown and that led to me really getting into C.O.C again. With more modern equipment, their first few albums would just be an absolute wall of sound. The Sword has damn near perfected it.
5. 'How Heavy This Axe' by The Sword. Foreshadow and you shall receive. I swear that this is completely random. A word to the wise, if you listen to The Sword while running on the treadmill at the gym, you may end up running through the wall just like John Candy in 'Who's Harry Crumb?' (only he was on a stationary bike). Is a 'Who's Harry Crumb' reference obscure, but funny? Or just fucking stupid? I just love the fact that the 'ugly' younger sister became Jigsaw's protege in the 'Saw' movies. I'm drifting. The Sword does that to me.
6. 'Soulfly II' by Soulfly. I like all the 'Soulfly' songs. I think they are up to VI now. It makes me feel cultured to have Brazilian-inspired instrumentals on my iPod between 'Eye for an Eye' and 'Back to the Primitive.' And if I am driving through Somerville, MA I feel like I fit in. That is a very specific reference that less than 10% of you will understand.
7. 'King Kill 33' by Marilyn Manson. On its own, a dumb song. But in the context of the album it is pretty cool. I think it would have fit perfectly after 'Antichrist Superstar' (the song) on the album of the same name. And I always want to call it 'King Kong', but that would be racist.
8. 'Woe' by Mark Lanegan. My crush on Mark Lanegan is well documented on this here website. If I could be one famous person, Lanegan may be it (minus the heroin addiction). Incredibly talented and poetic and deep. Famous and rich enough to do what you want. But not so famous that you can't walk around and not rich enough to be a greedy pig. Bob Dylan don't have shit on him.
9. 'Deathrider' by Anthrax. It is the 'Greater of Two Evils' version of the song. I am proudly in the 'John Bush is the best lead singer of Anthrax camp.' This song is a perfect example of why he is the best of the bunch. So much better than the original.
10. 'And I'm Aching' by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Like The Strokes, I want to know if they have graduated from hipster band to plain, old great rock 'n' roll band. Unlike The Strokes, these dudes are the nun's tits live. One of the best. Of the non-metal bands I like, the top bands to see live (off the top of my head) are Pearl Jam, Black Crowes, and these dudes. I can not recommend them enough. Great guitar rock one song, folky ballad the next. A great band.