The Ten (Really Eleven) Best Metal Songs for Earth Day
Today is Earth Day! Really, every day should be Earth Day, ’cause being environmentally conscientious is metal as fuck (read Vince’s previous rants on the subject here and here). And if you need proof — look at what fertile ground (joke intended) the rape of Mother Earth has provided for metal lyricists over the years. There are actually way more examples than the one’s listen below; these are just a few of my personal favorites.
So play ’em loud, play ’em proud, and do what you can to save what’s left of our planet… ’cause it’s the only we got!
Metallica, “Blackened”
Megadeth, “Countdown to Extinction”
I’m only listing these so far down on the list because they’re such obvious choices, and in at least one instance, the song is really about nuclear war and not pollution in the sense we tend to think of it. Obviously both awesome songs, though!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQDacBbaoQQ
Lamb of God, “Reclamation”
Because few modern metallers express being pissed off about the world’s current state of affairs with more vitriol than Randy Blythe…
Black Sabbath, “Children of the Sea”
Dio wants you to save the fishies! And you don’t wanna disobey DIO, do you?!?!?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=DJQQWbr4cXM
Atheist, “Elements”
The band’s entire album of the same name is about the Earth; I chose this song semi-arbitrarily, to make sure no part of our planet was left out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=cm5UVDj-Rqs
Stratovarius, “Paradise”
As in “Don’t ruin Paradise.”
Earth Crisis, “Inherit the Wasteland”
I mean, the words “Earth Crisis” are right there in their name!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Wfo-77hLAPg#t=1207s
Nuclear Assault, “Critical Mass”
The band even went to the trouble of including the lyrics in the video (this was long before the concept of a “lyric video” even existed) just to make sure fans got the message. Awesome.
Gojira, “Toxic Garbage Island”
I don’t think there’s any band in modern metal that’s written about the environment as much as Gojira, and I obviously could have chosen any number of other songs. But since the title more or less describes my home island (Manhattan), I went with this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=TAw5nWJBNrM
Testament, “Green House Effect”
This would probably be my #1 if not for…
Devin Townsend, “Earth Day”
I mean… duhhhhhhh.
