Top 15 Heaviest R.E.M. songs
When one says heavy, your mind automatically settles on R.E.M.; they're like the Harvey Milk of Athens, Georgia. Obviously most of R.E.M.'s catalogue is heavy, but what are the most vicious and brutal songs? Where do they smash and destroy? Where do they melt the listener's ears? They may not use lots of Drop D, but they are the masters of aggressive D-A-G. I've done the legwork and put together a list of maximum carnage. |
| 15 |  | R.E.M.
Collapse Into Now
Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter
Alligators are heavy and deadly in the water. I would not take on an alligator. |
| 14 |  | R.E.M.
Document
Finest Worksong
References Thoreau, who wrote stuff about disobedience. I'm not sure if he was very disobedient though, but he could have been. At 14 because documents are not metaphorically very heavy. |
| 13 |  | R.E.M.
Fables of the Reconstruction
Driver 8
Riffs hard. There's a lyric about hated heat, I rest my case. |
| 12 |  | R.E.M.
Monster
What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
Probably one of the riffiest songs, the band just destroys on this. Buck lets loose a searing solo in the last quarter. Very violent (even mentions violence), but the production doesn't hold up. Album is called Monster. |
| 11 |  | R.E.M.
Green
Orange Crush
This song does indeed crush in an Orange way. Very anti-establishment. |
| 10 |  | R.E.M.
Accelerate
Living Well Is The Best Revenge
I think this is about revenge, which is a moderately heavy topic. |
| 9 |  | R.E.M.
Murmur
Catapult
A catapult is a medieval war machine which rains fire and death, and destroys walls. Enough said.
Edit: I just realised this album cover makes it more heavy |
| 8 | | R.E.M.
Document
The One I Love
Stipe doesn't give a fig about your feelings. Buck flips the script on this with a blistering solo while Berry hammers those skins. FIIIIIII-ERRRR! Again, shame about the album name |
| 7 | | R.E.M.
Monster
Circus Envy
Ok, the low end on this is crazy. Circuses have clowns. Did I mention the album is called Monster? |
| 6 |  | R.E.M.
New Adventures in Hi-Fi
New Test Leper
Leprosy = heavy. |
| 5 |  | R.E.M.
Up
The Apologist
Really doomy (am I using that word correctly?). Narrator sounds like he's in a facility. Maybe he killed someone. I'm not sure he's really sorry, although he does say he is quite a bit. |
| 4 |  | R.E.M.
Lifes Rich Pageant
Flowers Of Guatemala
This song is about flowers growing on graves. That's a pretty heavy image. |
| 3 |  | R.E.M.
Automatic for the People
Sweetness Follows
It's a very death focused song, featuring a funeral for some guy. No-one cares if anyone else dies. Song sounds very grey, and grey is heavy, like cement breezeblocks. |
| 2 |  | R.E.M.
Dead Letter Office
Burning Hell
Stipe goes into evil shred voice mode, and it's incredible. People will make occult hand signs to this, just look at the title. Maybe heavy in the way Motorhead is heavy. |
| 1 |  | R.E.M.
Out of Time
Country Feedback
Stipe unleashes a tirade here, I mean the language gets pretty raw. The title doesn't lie, I'd say there's quite a lot of feedback in the song. Brutal. |
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