TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY, IT'S MY PARTY AND I'LL PLAY WHAT I WANT TO
Righteous Pigs- "Stress Related"
There really isn't much you can say about this classic release that hasn't been said a million times. Heavy, crushing riffs featuring who would later be members of Napalm Death, some of the harshest vocals ever, and a very bleak social outlook that makes you want to set your neighborhood on fire. Essential.
Gehenna- "The War of the Sons of Light and the Suns of Darkness"
Gehenna gets pegged as an Integrity worship band but, to be honest, I don't see the comparison other than both bands tend to be interested in darker imagery and have reputations for getting on people's bad sides. Either way, this is nasty, aggressive, metal-fueled hardcore that opts for the faster, darker elements of black and thrash than grooves and doom. I guess they're infamous or something too. They're still not from Cleveland.
My Dying Bride- "Turn Loose the Swans"
One of the darkest, heaviest, and most beautiful albums of the 90s, My Dying Bride is forever my favorite of the "Peaceville Three" that also included Anathema and Paradise Lost. The perfect marriage of goth, doom, and death metal and a definitive album to say the least. Aaron Stainthorpe's vocal performance on this is immensely inspiring to me and his clean vocals are something I really wish I had the nuts to try and poorly rip off.
U-God - "The Keynote Speaker"
My all time favorite member of the Wu Tang clan and one of the most underrated MCs in my opinion, U-God's third and most critically acclaimed album to date is worth checking out if you like east coast hip hop, quality lyrics, and hypnotic urban beats. This record features guest appearances from Styles P, Kook Keith, GZA, and Method Man.
- Joe