Signs of the Swarm’s David Simonich Shares Some of His Favorite Albums to Get High To
You may or may not have picked up on it by now, but we at MetalSucks are pretty damn fond of cannabis. We love that wacky tobaccy. We always gotta get us that devil’s lettuce… Okay, that was pushing it a bit, but you get the point. We love weed.
So when we realized Signs of the Swarm’s David Simonich was also a big fan of the leaf, we knew he’d be just the guy to ask for some music he’d recommend to listen to while getting stoned. I mean, we have our own ideas, but it’s always good to find new tunes. He was gracious enough to get back to us and what you’ve got below are five albums he suggests you listen to the next time you partake.
Think of this as an aural “puff puff pass,” so feel free to share your favorite albums to toke to down in the comments below. For now, however, here’s David:
Sometimes I forget (how ironic) my reputation precedes me when it comes to being one of deathcore’s most stoned, but then I get special requested to be the guest for episode 420 of the Vox and Hops podcast and to do the best records to do this listicle right here. I mean, I guess it makes sense; I do smoke a LOT of weed, and we just may be the only deathcore band to be featured in High Times.
I wanted to avoid the typical heavy bands you’d get high to (stoner metal, duh) and also pick some stuff that’s maybe a bit out of left field for what folks might assume I listen to. These may not be YOUR albums to get high to, but they’re mine and I assure you they’re always a vibe.
The Midnight – Endless Summer (5 Year Anniversary Edition)
I have a lot of memories associated with this record: from touring to home life. Listening to this record brings back memories while I’m smoking. This anniversary edition adds some more songs to make new memories to. It has the added bonus of being the perfect length to vibe out to for your whole session!
Tesseract – Altered State
I mean, just look at the title! This album is perfect for when you alter your state: preferably with some indica because chilling to this is just awesome. It washes over you and you can really immerse yourself in it, even more so the louder it gets. There’s something about Tesseract’s take on djent that hypnotizes more than most metal.
The Red Shore – The Avarice of Man
This album finds this Aussie gem of a band following a time-honored deathcore tradition: going more death metal and potentially alienating the breakdown fiends of their fanbase. Somehow, the riffs became more hypnotic, without losing the aggression. It’s the perfect album for when you want your head bobs to evolve into headbangs, but fully know you don’t have the energy to throw a spinkick; you ARE high, remember?
$uicideboy$ – Eternal Grey
I listen to a LOT of $uicideboy$ discography—and, believe me, there’s a LOT—but this record is on another level for me. Vibing out to all these records is sort of the point of this article, but this one comes with an added bonus. If you’re anything like me, you can get high enough to imagine the beats as breakdowns with Scrim and Ruby just spitting bars on top.
Mad Season – Above
The perfect wake and bake album. I love starting my day with some nice sativa and this album. I mean, come on, the first song is called “Wake Up.” Of course it’s a lot deeper than getting out of bed and getting high, but the music’s less aggressive take on alt/grunge rock is the perfect soundtrack to it. It has a very special place in my heart—and, by now, my lungs haha.
