Top 10 : Le seul et unique

Quoi? Un autre top X des meilleures tounes/bands/riffs/solos/etc.?!? Et oui, pourquoi pas! Top 10 de mes meilleures tounes métal. Mais cette fois-ci, ce sera différent... un peu.

Pourquoi différent? Les critères de sélection seront clairs et consistants, demeurant néanmoins tout à fait subjectifs, bien sûr.

Pourquoi je trippe sur la musique? Qu'est-ce qui vient me chercher dans le métal? Qu'est-ce qui fait d'une toune qu'elle vaille la peine d'être écoutée régulièrement semaine après semaine, année après année? Pourquoi je vais encore vibrer au son de ces classiques métal à 70 ans?

3 choses :

1. Une ambiance. Une pièce doit créer une atmosphère particulière, mettre l'auditeur dans un état d'esprit bien unique pour devenir un de ces classiques. C'est cette faculté de créer un monde, des images colorées, des personnages, des lieux. Cette espèce de qualité abstraite qui fait qu'on se sent pénétrer à l'intérieur de la toune, peu importe si on est dans un autobus bondé ou bien seul dans son salon. C'est aussi de raconter une histoire en musique, et possiblement en paroles, avec une progression, un build-up, des sommets d'intensité. C'est une harmonie entre les instruments, la fameuse synergie où il devient difficile et superflu d'essayer d'écouter chaque instrument séparément. L'ambiance est ce qui rassemble une chanson, qui en fait un tout. Rien de pire qu'un solo écoeurant gaché par une toune vide de sens, rapiécée par petits bouts. Rien de mieux qu'un solo qui vient mettre la cerise sur le sundae d'une toune bien ficelée.

2. Une charge émotive. Ne pas confondre avec l'ambiance. Cette qualité est purement subjective, particulièrement difficile à décrire. C'est le je-ne-sais-quoi qui vient te chercher en dedans, qui te fait te retourner quelques secondes pour cacher le début de larmes (souvent de joie) qui se forment dans l'oeil. Le feeling d'orgasme musical qui t'envahit. Le besoin de chanter par-dessus la toune, de crier, de se crisper.

3. Un riff (les puristes écriront rift, dla marde), idéalement plusieurs. Le riff est à la base du métal. Un bon riff fera d'une bonne toune une toune mémorable (e.g. Gardens of the Sinner de Gamma Ray). Un bon riff à la fois aide à créer une ambiance et à induire une émotion. Un bon riff introduit et accompagne un bon solo. Un bon riff te reste dans la tête, te fait trasher, sauter partout.


Je me suis aussi imposé une restriction de 1 toune par groupe.

Alors sans plus tarder, le top 10 des meilleures tounes selon les trois critères qui précèdent.


10. The Four Horsemen - Metallica Version originale sur Kill 'em All

Ambiance : 8.5/10 Émotions : 7/10 Riffs : 10/10


9. The Ballad - Testament Version originale sur Practice What you Preach

Ambiance : 9/10 Émotions : 8/10 Riffs : 9/10


8. Victim of Changes - Judas Priest Version live sur Unleashed in the East

Ambiance : 9/10 Émotions : 8/10 Riffs : 9.5/10


7. Majesty - Blind Guardian Version live sur Tokyo Tales

Ambiance : 9.5/10 Émotions : 9/10 Riffs : 9.5/10


6. Phantom of the Opera - Iron Maiden Version originale sur Iron Maiden

Ambiance : 9.5/10 Émotions : 9/10 Riffs : 10/10


5. Heal Me - Gamma Ray Version originale sur Insanity and Genius

Ambiance : 10/10 Émotions : 10/10 Riffs : 9/10


4. Tornado of Souls - Megadeth V.O. sur Rust in Peace

Ambiance : 9.5/10 Émotions : 9.5/10 Riffs : 9.5/10


3. Eternal World - Crimson Glory (sérieusement...) Version originale sur Transcendence

Ambiance : 10/10 Émotions : 8/10 Riffs : 10/10


2. Advent - Opeth Version originale sur Morningrise

Ambiance : 10/10 Émotions : 9/10 Riffs : 10/10


1. Dante's Inferno - Iced Earth Version live sur Alive in Athens.

Ambiance : 10/10 Émotions : 10/10 Riffs : 10/10 - Une note parfaite à tous points de vue. La toune parfaite, ma préférée à vie!


Si vous avez quelques heures de libres, je suggère fortement vous procurer chacune de ces tounes et de les écouter back-to-back. Une expérience orgasmique mémorable!



**Quelques oubliées qui n'ont pas fait la cut : Pantera (The Sleep, Cemetary Gates), Metallica (Creeping Death, The Call of Ktulu, Ride the Lightning), Megadeth (Hangar 18), Iced Earth (When the Night Falls, A Question of Heaven - de très proche, Electric Funeral sur Melancoly EP), Judas Priest (Beyond the Realms of Death, Turbo Lover live sur Rising in the East, The Sentinel live sur Priest Live!), Black Sabbath (War Pigs, Heaven and Hell), Iron Maiden (hmm, toutes, mais sécialement Heaven Can Wait, 22 Acacia Avenue, Powerslave, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son), Blind Guardian (Ashes to Ashes, Lost in a Twilight Hall, Valhalla - sacré Kai!), Dream Theater (Blind Faith, The Spirit Carries on - de très près!), Dissection (Retribution, Thorns of Crimson Death) ainsi que plusieurs autres bien sûr.


P.S.

Si vous êtes en total désaccord avec mes choix, tant mieux! Commentez votre désaccord sans gêne, j'ai bien envie de voir les différences parmi les vrais MetalHeads!

Insanity

When a legendary explosive metal band plays one of the most crowd-blasting song ever in front of one of the craziest audiences in the world... well, this is bound to come up on Youtube sometime.

Warning : this video can provoke some serious urges of jumping around in one's living room and may cause substantial damage to your carelessly stored CD collection. Watch at your own risks.

Disturbed minds make for good songwriting?

I've recently discovered the Swedish black/death metal band Dissection. Having never been a huge fan of guttural vocals and relentless blast beat in the first place, it was a surprise when I happened to enjoy the selection Pandora had made for me of a band with a name that cliché of black/death. The band's music is quite original, with pleasantly aggressive vocals, an almost progressive rhytm, and most importantly, for once, the quality of actually being able to hear each instrument distinctly.

The threesome, however, describe themselves as the "Anti-Cosmic Metal of Death", a satanist troup on a mission to bring the revelation to the world. But what Swedish death-metal band isn't?

The difference with this bunch is that they actually believe it. The proof? The guitar player and vocalist for the band killed himself this summer because "he felt that he had fulfilled his self-created destiny."

From the band's official website :

Jon Nödtveidt was a man who lived his life according to his convictions and True Will. A couple of days ago he chose to end his life by his own hands. As a true Satanist he led his life in the way he wanted and ended it when he felt that he had fulfilled his self-created destiny. Not everyone will have understanding or acceptance for his personal path in this life and beyond, but all must respect his choice.

Those of us who have met him in his last days can assure that he was more focussed, happier and stronger than ever. It is our full conviction that he left this world of lies with a scornful laughter, knowing that he had fulfilled everything that he had set up for himself to accomplish. The empty space that he leaves behind will be filled with the dark essence that he manifested through his life and black-magical work. His legacy and Luciferian Fire will live on through those few who truly knew him and appreciated his work for what it really was and still is. As our brother's goal in life and death never was to "Rest in Peace", we will instead wish him victories in all battles to come, until the Acosmic Destiny has been fulfilled.

For the glory of the Dark Gods and the Wrathful Chaos!

Chilling...

So, do disturbed minds make for exceptionally creative songwriting? Weren't a lot of artists from the past especially deranged, such as Van Gogh or Baudelaire? If there is a causal relationship, what direction does it take? In other words, which causes which?

Metal Earthquake at Cafe Dekcuf

Jason Decay
Geddy Lee

I went to see the Metal Earthquake last night in Ottawa's Cafe Dekcuf. Great gig guys.

The main attraction was a band named Cauldron from Toronto. Although the guys were a little too gay-looking for my tastes, they put up a good show. Their writing is original and they sound great on stage. They remind me of the early Megadeth albums, which is in all respects a very good thing.

One interesting fact : I genuinely questioned myself for a good part of the show as to whether the lead singer/bass player, Jason Decay, formerly from Goat Horn, was the son of Geddy Lee from Rush. Well, who knows? 

But the highlight of the night was undoubtedly the bold performance by local band Toxicator. 

Accompanied by a handful of their very loud and energetic fans, the band managed to wake the otherwise absurdly quiet crowd up. The level of energy displayed on stage was phenomenal, despite the fact that the vocalist had to sit in a wheelchair for the whole act because of a broken leg. The band's music is pure metal. Solid riffs, powerful, fast drums, over the top guitar solos, and of course aggressive, high-pitched vocals make up for a sound which is as close to perfection as it can get. The best thing is, these guys are like 15 years old. And this is on average; one of the two guitarists must be about 12. Great things await these boys, if their moms let them at least. 

Did I just say that? Anyway...

So if you're in the Ottawa area, check out Toxicator's myspace page for upcoming shows. One of their songs, New Born Metal is also available on there. This tune is not necessarily representative of the band's overall sound, but still makes for a very good listen.

Kudos to you guys. The world need more bands like yours.