COREY’S ROAD RAGE METAL PLAYLIST
I am currently in the midst of a signing tour for my latest book, PURE MURDER. Nothing helps me keep my sanity more when I am on the road paying outrageous sums of money for gas, dealing with complete fucking morons behind the wheel, and trudging through Texas-sized traffic jams than listening to heavy metal at full volume.
Here are some quick reviews of some of the metal I cranked on my recent trip to Houston for a booksigning, and then to Huntsville for the execution of one of the killers from my book.
MOONSORROW: Tulimyrsky EP – 68 minutes of pure bliss. Everything I like about Black Viking mead-swilling metal, plus, a killer cover of Metallica’s For Whom the Bell Tolls. Proof that the album (even though this is called an EP) still lives. BTW, the Metallica cover works better within the context of the EP as opposed to being a strong downloadable single.
16 VOLT: FullBlackHabit – (Full disclosure – I used to manage this band from ’96-’98.) First original full-length since ’98’s much more metallic SuperCoolNothing. Probably not the perfect fit for the MetalSucks crowd, but if you like heavy, poppy industrial metal you will definitely dig this.
AGALLOCH: The White EP – Beautiful disc. Not the heaviest of records, in fact, it definitely veers off into Vapourspace territory in certain parts, but that only made it more incredible to drive through the rather laconic, pastoral setting of Schulenberg, Texas.
GANON: As Above, So Below– My favorite CD on this drive. File under NeurIsis, with a bit more Cult of Luna thrown in for good measure. Essentially makes them a fourth-tier post-metal act, but damnnnnn, is it good.
EMBRACE THE END: Ley Lines– Metalcore done right, if there is such a thing. Heavy as fuck, hummable, and great speeding accompaniment.
LUSTMORD: Metavoid– I listened to this while driving from Houston to Huntsville on my way to Jose Medellin’s execution during tropical storm Edouard. The creepy vibe set the mood perfectly and one track sounded like a prisoner walking down a long hallway on death row, cell doors slamming behind him as he headed toward his inevitable demise. Fucking brilliant!
LIGHT THIS CITY: self-titled– Nowhere near as good as I remembered it being earlier this year. Singer reminds me of the unwanted bastard step-daughter of Angela Gossow and Bergnal fronting an even more Christian-lite version of As I Lay Dying. Definitely not a recommendation.
MIDNATTSOL: Nordlys – Not my kind of metal, at all, but for some weird reason I really like this band and especially, their female singer. Heavy mellow.
NIN: Ghosts I-IV – Nice to drive back to San Antonio to and watch all of the NASCAR wannabes nearly kill themselves and everyone else out on the road just so they can get somewhere five minutes faster.
Oh, and a big FOAD to that old fucker OU fan outside of San Antonio! If you died in a car crash I cannot say I would shed a tear, unless, of course, you took out some innocent driver.
Go Horns!
[Corey Mitchell is a best-selling author of six true crime books, including his latest, PURE MURDER, about the murder of two teenage girls. He attended the execution of one of the killers, Jose “Joe” Medellin this week.]
