I can’t be the only one that’s noticed an underlying pattern with some of the bands playing this year at AFTERSHOCK We’re seeing some major heavy hitters from back in the day 2000-2008. Really makes me feel nostalgic. This is when I just started listening to metal in my early teens. After that I was never the same, and neither were you. Now is the countdown of my favorite music videos from my favorite bands that’s playing AFTERSHOCK this year!
#7: Shinedown
Shinedown came out with their first album “Leave A Whisper” in 2003. But I believe their best album from that time was definitely “The Sound of Madness” which was released five years later in 2008. My favorite and most memorable music video from them has always been “Second Chance”. More recently they have released a new music video for their song “GET UP” from their latest album “ATTENTION ATTENTION”. They actually plan on doing a video for every song making it one hell of a video album (idea!). The years may have passed, but their ongoing theme of portraying the deepest of human emotion has never shifted.
#6: Seether
EVERYONE and their mom loved and knew this song by heart, I swear. Seether featuring the amazing Amy Lee for their balled called “Broken”. Seether came into the scene back in 2000 with their album ‘Fragile’ and a handful more before 2005. My favorite album being ‘Disclaimer’… something about the cover just really spoke to me (hahaha!). Fast forward to now, and Seether is still making amazing music. Their latest album being ‘Poison To The Parish’, which was released May of last year, only shows that they still have a few more aces up their sleeves.
#5: Sevendust
Who remembers the day they saw Sevendust’s “Denial” video and had an immediate crush on Lajon Witherspoon? Honestly, it’s so rare to see a black lead singer fronting a heavy metal band. I was literally the only black kid in school who was a full on metalhead and it was annoying. It was when I started finding more and more black singers who were in metal bands that I felt comfortable with my love for metal (I was tired of being questioned and I know my other black metalheads nodding their heads right now). I had this awesome heavy metal black dude giving raw fire power that I could listen and relate to. This song was one of their first music videos and still my top favorites (def my favorite from that year). Ugh that hair though (someone talk me out of doing locs)!
#4: Everlast
Everlast is another early 2000’s staple in the alternative music world. Song after song they topped charts and gained a massive following in a short amount of time. Their video for the hit single “What It’s Like” is the first one I saw from them. Seeing it again years later… it’s timeless. This is still one powerful video, even over a decade later. The message is just as prevalent as it was then if not more so. Sooner or later you play all of the parts, and this video illustrates so many untold stories that needed to be shared.
#3: Godsmack
Powerhouse sound with that dead sexy low voice… Gahhhh! Gotta love it. Godsmack is one of those bands that really stand out with their music. Definitely a must-own CD (yes they still exist!) back in the day. And they haven’t finished rocking out with us just yet! There’s a new album ‘When Legends Rise’ that’s on the loose! Yes… We got smacked with a new Godsmack album! Prying through their old-school jams the two most popular songs were “Stand Alone” and “Voodoo”. Now, my goal was to choose ONE video… but alas I cannot. Can’t help but love them both equally; “Voodoo” for the video and “Stand Alone” for the song. So I’m gonna break this made up rule of mine and just dish out both videos. And someone please tell me if there’s ever a “Voodoo” video/ “Stand Alone” song mash up on YouTube somewhere!
#2: System Of A Down
WAKE UP!!! It’s one of my favorite bands! System of a #MFKN Down… Do I really need to write anything? No, but I want to! These guys are incredible with their social-political commentary. You can be either blind or deaf and play their video for “B.Y.O.B.”; you’ll know exactly what they’re about. These songs could have been written last week… they’re still relevant. Although these guys are a bit more playful than others like Rage Against The Machine, they deliver the message point blank (mostly by screaming it at you… which is what a lot of us feel like doing but don’t because it’s socially unacceptable). They sing what we want to say, and scream the way that we feel. They’re one hell of a band. I “broke the rules” for Godsmack. I’m eliminating them for System. Top three favs:
#1: Deftones
And now we get to my FAVORITE band… ever. Deftones! If I were to make a soundtrack to my life, it would all be Deftones songs. They came out with their first album Adrenaline in 94′ (the year I moved to Sacramento) and started making their rounds through the metal scene. It was in the year 2000 when they came out with White Pony and just killed it. They’ve since been dabbling with their sound (none moreso than with Saturday Night Wrist) and are still writing new music. Like right now. As I’m typing this. Defheads such as myself have been dying to hear something… ANYTHING from this Eros album which was put aside for three albums straight. Now they’re recording some new stuff and I’m on …Needles And Pins.
And now a bunch of videos because with Deftones songs I have no concept of what the word “rules” mean. Sounds foreign. French, maybe?
If you haven’t gotten your tickets to Aftershock yet (are you NUTS?!) head over here before you have long term regrets.