My Musical History 101
I was raised listening to Enya and The Carpenters on family road trips. I distinctly remember
asking for some rock n? roll when I was around ten years old and my dad saying no. Rock music
was too associated with negative messages in his mind and he wanted to shield me from that
world that it had to offer. It wasn?t until junior high that I had my first album from this cool
band my cousin had introduced me to? |
| 1 | Creed
Yep. I dug the thick, gritty guitars (though I didn?t think of them as guitars; more as just a cool, abrasive
sound) and the melodies they used. I thought ?Higher? was absolutely epic. I look back and cringe, but
they were indeed my gateway into the realm of rock music itself. |
| 2 | MxPx
Again, I liked the fast, chuggy sound the guitars made. I honestly wasn?t sure if it was the bass or the
guitar that made the sound that I now know as ?distortion.? The stuff I listened to from these guys was
truly terrible, but I didn?t care. It was fast and hard and the gateway into Slick Shoes, Simple Plan, and
some Newfound Glory. |
| 3 | Skillet
First band on this list that I will still occasionally play for the fun of it. I had ?Collide? from them and it was
the first ?masterpiece? album that I owned. I ate, drank and breathed that album in 8th and 9th grade,
and still think it?s a good record for the genre of industrial(ish), electronic hard rock. |
| 4 | Finch
9th grade. My introduction into the post-hardcore/screamo world. I had most of What It Is To Burn and it
was like a new enlightenment. This stuff was my gateway into bands that I still respect and enjoy like
Dead Poetic (New Medicines only) and Emery. I?ll still play it from time to time for a fun listen soaked in
good production value. |
| 5 | Underoath
Here we go. Second semester of ninth grade. My friend burns me They?re Only Chasing Safety and it scares
the crap out of me. I wasn?t listening to anything that remotely featured this much screaming and I didn?t
get past the first track. However, I found myself drawn back to the album again and again, and sooner
than later I was hooked on a record that I still definitely respect (rated a 4) for both biased and unbiased
reasons. I became obsessed, and good ol? UO was my favorite band for most of my high school career.
Gateway into? |
| 6 | Norma Jean
I bought O God, The Aftermath first and found myself swimming in an ocean of chaos and brutality that I
had never experienced before. I read up more on the band and found that Bless the Martyr, Kiss the Child
was something of a legendary album from them. I got it and was instantly sucked in. Norma Jean became
the runner up for my favorite band slot that was dominated by Underoath. I still respect this band and
their albums a good deal. |
| 7 | He Is Legend
?I? am? HOLLYWOOD.? This was simultaneously my introduction to breakdowns and gutteral low
screaming (a thing I previously hated due to my ears being conditioned to the high shrieking of
Underoath). Also a gateway into southern rock i. e. Maylene and the Sons of Disaster and Memphis May
Fire. |
| 8 | The Hush Sound
My ?I listen to mellow music, too? band of high school. Gateway into Death Cab For Cutie, Dispatch and
Snow Patrol. |
| 9 | Turning Robots Into People
My introduction to grindcore. They never got big, but they were my gateway to Job For A Cowboy (Doom),
War From A Harlot?s Mouth, Glass Casket and A Thousand Times Repent. |
| 10 | Kalmah
All my high school buddies were obsessed with this band, and by osmosis I was ushered into the world of
death and folk metal. Gateway to Wintersun, Mors Principium Est and Children of Bodom. |
| 11 | My Bitter End
My entrance into the world of melodic technical deathcore with the likes of The Faceless, Conducting From
the Grave and Veil of Maya. The production on this album blows but the musicianship and writing is still
impressive to me and it absolutely blew my 11th grade mind. I became so obsessed with their album ?The
Renovation? that I officially denounced Underoath as my favorite band and replaced them with the (at the
time) faster, slicker, more epic My Bitter End. However, just around the corner? |
| 12 | Between the Buried and Me
I had downloaded Mordecai off purevolume my 10th grade year and I would listen from time to time for
the melodic ending. I slowly started buying a few songs off Alaska and I was quickly addicted to All Bodies.
From there things just escalated to the point of BTBAM becoming my new favorite band. They retain that
slot today. No other band meshes more with my ideas of melody, dynamics, creativity and versatility. Not
to mention they?re great guys. |
| 13 | Muse
My introduction into the more adult rock scene. I bought Absolution off iTunes on a road trip and it was my
soundtrack for the whole drive home from Montana to LA. I love how huge and over the top they are.
Somewhat of a gateway to Radiohead. |
| 14 | Thrice
I bought Vheissu when it first came out in 10th grade and I wasn?t nearly mature enough in my taste for
it yet (now it?s one of my favorites). I had a couple songs off Artist and liked them, but give Thrice any
more time of day until The Alchemy Index, Vol. 2 was released. I heard a friend playing Air and I went to
Best Buy that day and bought Vol. 2. From there, Thrice quickly climbed up the ladder of my favorite bands
and now sits comfortably next to BTBAM. I?m very interested to see how they follow up Beggars. |
| 15 | Converge
A guy at work told me to buy Jane Doe. I did. Took about a year and a half, but sure enough, here I am
with Jane Doe rated as a 5. Got into Converge and From A Second Story Window (Delenda is also one of
my favorites) around the same time. |
| 16 | Rage Against the Machine
A drummer I play with is obsessed with these guys so I decided to give them a shot and I bought Battle of
Los Angeles. It didn?t take long to grow to a 5. |
| 17 | Incubus
My girlfriend has loved Incubus for years and she let me borrow a few albums before we started dating a
year and half ago. I am very glad we met. Favorite albums are Make Yourself and Morning View, though
Science has some phenomenal songs as well as Crow. |
| 18 | The Dear Hunter
Saw these guys live with Thrice back in November and was blown away. Fell in love with Act II very quickly
and it?s one of my favorites. Love their theatricality and skill with vocal work and layering. |
| 19 | Radiohead and Isis
Currently getting into these guys. I have Ok Computer by Radiohead and The Wavering Radiant by Isis (I
know, I need Panapticon). |
|
