Porcupine Tree - The Sound Of Muzak (8/10)

 Even though this blog is mainly about metal, I must also bring up some slightly less heavy songs like this one. This is progressive rock, so of course the verses are in 7/4, but I think they used the time signature very well. Usually, progressive bands will just throw in odd time signatures for no other reason than to have an odd time signature, but this is really catchy and actually works in the song.

The chorus is quite simple except for the chord choices, but it's incredibly catchy. It sounds almost like a typical singalong song, but in a good way. The only issue I have with it is that the chorus feels somewhat disconnected from the rest of the song.

The guitar solo is great. I appreciate that they played the notes that really make you feel something, instead of just shredding garbage as some bands do. And as a keyboardist, I also like how they used a powerful organ sound to support the guitar solo.

The vocals on this song are alright. They sound very human and not at all overproduced, which is a plus, but in certain parts they use a compressor effect which I dislike, but that's just my personal taste. There isn't much dynamics in the vocals, but it works well in this type of song.

I think the lyrics are where this song really shines. The song was released in 2002, and the lyrics are so much more real today. The music industry as a whole really has gone downhill, with the same simple production over and over again, stripping the soul from the vocals, and it has become really difficult to find new good music. All the discovery algorithms just repeat the same popular songs that make the music labels more and more money. And I think this song really brings up a bunch of good points that need to be said about the music industry.

System Of A Down - Aerials (10/10)

 SOAD is known for making each song very different from the last, and this one is probably on their more "mainstream" side, but it's really good. For some reason, the guitar in the intro just does something emotionally to my brain that very few songs do.

Then the vocals come in, and Serj as always uses his voice to the fullest, not just sticking to one type of singing like many singers unfortunately do nowadays. He shapes his voice both dynamically and tonally to really fit each part of the song, and it really works in making a human connection to the listener.

During the verse, the guitar plays quite a simple riff, but it's incredibly heavy, and just as good as the intro. However, the energy quickly dies down again into the chorus, reflecting the feel of the lyrics.

The second time around, the band goes into an even heavier riff just before the chorus, which is just the main melody but with distortion. That's heavy as it is, but what makes it one of the heaviest riffs of all time is probably the drumming and guitar rhythm. The guitar is syncopated in just the right way to make it really really heavy, and it also leaves some breathing room every other bar, with the drums just playing an open hi-hat, giving a sort of floating sensation before the riff hits you again.

The song ends with some beautiful vocal harmony, and not just the usual singing the same melody at an interval. Rather, they sometimes drift apart slightly in the melody, making it incredibly beautiful.

Looking at the lyrics, despite SOAD sometimes making very obfuscated lyrics, I feel like this is relatively easy to decipher, but it can still mean multiple different things. I take it as being about life in general, about finding what actually makes you happy, instead of what superficially makes you happy. It could of course also be taken to be about being famous, but I think that would kind of also work together with the other interpretation, so I like to choose the most general interpretation so you can adapt it to your own life.

Gojira - Stranded (10/10)

 I must have listened to this song hundreds of times by now, but I still feel all of the emotion every single time. It just never gets old, and it's such a powerful song to get your emotions out in times of grief, depression, or other struggles.

The instrumentation is both simple, complicated and unique at the same time, which is a really uncommon combination. All the guitar parts are simple, but also sound like no other song I've ever heard. The drums are almost overkill, but somehow manage to still fit the song well, probably due to the sheer amount of emotion throughout the song. And the band also leave room for the bass at times, as if Gojira's bassist doesn't energize the audience enough already.

The intro riff is quite simple and mainly serves the purpose of setting the very heavy atmosphere, but also keeps the song interesting by the use of a whammy pedal. The chorus riff is also simple, but it is extremely catchy. I will likely never get bored of the chorus even if I listen to the song thousands of times. And really the rest of the guitar work is also simple, but so effective at conveying emotion.

The vocals in this song are the perfect type of heavy - they deliver the intense emotion incredibly well, but at the same time, you can hear the lyrics, and it sounds very human despite the harshness, and I also like the dynamics in the vocals towards the end of the song.

Speaking of which, the song structure is also one of a kind. It has choruses, but the verses are very different, both vocally, lyrically and instrumentally. I think it's very much shaped around how grief progresses over time. The intro is like the reality of the situation starting to sink in and work its way inside you. The first verse feels like the overwhelming flood of emotions that comes right after that, while the second verse feels more desperate and empty. The final verse, or the outro, is a continuation of the emptiness felt earlier, but after you've exhausted all your energy and can barely think or feel anymore. The very last line of the song builds up the intensity again, like when you finally start regaining your energy, you're struck by the same wall of emotions again.

In summary, I cannot think of a song that represents the feelings of grief better than this, and there isn't a single bad part in this entire song, so it easily gets a 10/10 from me. Even though I started listening to metal not that long ago, this song has already helped me through multiple tough times. It's really important to get your emotions out somehow in times of grief or depression, which you can do by listening to, playing or singing a song like this.