One Lovely Blogger Award | Metal Edition

Hello! A tag today. I was tagged by The Orangutan Librarian, so thanks friend! 😀

The Rules

1. Each nominee must thank the person who nominated them and link their blog in the post.
2. They must include the rules and add the blog award badge as an image.
3. Must add 7 facts about themselves and then nominate 15 people.

I think I’m going to take a leaf out of Orangutan’s book and do a music-oriented 7 facts. SO PREPARE FOR A BUNCH OF METAL.

Also, if you’ve ever been curious about metal or never understood what people saw in it, I suggest giving these a listen. Everything I list will be good ‘gateway’ songs, I think. I’ll list other genres or associated things that if you like those ones, you might like the song I’ve posted, too.

(I’m forever trying to get people into metal. It’s so fun :”D)

1 – I grew up listening to Iron Maiden and Guns N Roses

At the time, I didn’t know it was considered metal or what metal even was. I just knew it was the music my dad and uncle listened to. So picture ten year old me singing ‘Hallowed by Thy Name’ with my uncle and cousins, haha.

Example: Hallowed By Thy Name by Iron Maiden

You should listen to this song if you like classic hard rock music

When the priest comes to read me the last rites
I take a look through the bars at the last sights
Of a world that has gone very wrong for me

2 – The first metal band that I discovered by my own accord was Nightwish

There are a lot of Nightwish songs and the band has had three singers at this point (the current one is amazing, imho). I first discovered them because they were in a music video at the end of a movie I was watching. I remember liking them and then forgetting they existed until I randomly came across them again on youtube a year or two later. Been listening ever since. They range from very flowery symphonic metal to heavier stuff. The song I’m listing is somewhere in the middle and almost has a pop-rock-like sound to it.

Example: Amaranth by Nightwish

You should listen to this if you like pop rock, high female voices, angels

Reaching, searching
For something untouched
Hearing voices of the never-fading calling

3 – The band I feel puts on the best live show is Sonata Arctica

I feel like there are certain bands that even if you don’t care for their music, you go to see them perform because they’re just so much fun. This is one of those bands. And by far, the most fun song to listen to by them is FullMoon. There’s just so much audience participation!

Example: FullMoon by Sonata Arctica

You should listen to this if you like rock music, werewolves, happy crowds at concerts

She should not lock the open door
(run away, run away, run way)
Fullmoon is on the sky and he’s not a man anymore
See the change in him but can’t
(run away, run away, run away)
See what became out of her man…
Fullmoon

4 – Every time I hear a band collaborate with a movie or video game, it makes me want to watch or play it

I feel like this doesn’t happen nearly enough!! If you know of any games/movies with metal soundtracks, do tell me

Example: Children of the Smith by Blind Guardian (Dwarves soundtrack)

You should listen to this if you like video game sound tracks and music videos

The old rhymes, they’re on my mind
We’re one tribe
We share our memories, clear and bright
We walk as one, our lives are bound together
We share a fate, we share one fate
We share a fate

5 – I don’t like music with a lot of growling or screaming, so pretty much every band I listen to has clean, well-sung lyrics in their songs

I feel like there’s this misconception outside the metal community that all metal is nothing but growling, walls of sounds and demonic screaming. I mean, sure there is some of that: It’s called black metal, thrash music, death metal, etc etc. There are a bunch of subgenres though that don’t have these features. So getting into the metal genre, you can purposely avoid listening to those or purposely go after those to listen to, depending on your tastes!

Example: Memories by Within Temptation

You should listen to this song if you like singer-songwriter songs, melodic female voices, easy-listening music

All of my memories keep you near.
In silent moments imagine you here.

6 – My favorite kind of metal is the kind with a full-orchestra backing it.

I absolutely love being surrounded by a wall of music while I’m listening. My favorite way to do that is get the metal-sound of the guitars and bass… and then a whole bunch of orchestral music to boot!

Example: Ghost Love Score by Nightwish

You should listen to this if you like orchestra music, classical music, opera, complex sound combinations, chorus music

A siren from the deep came to me
Sang my name my longing
Still I write my songs about that dream of mine
Worth everything I may ever be

7 – I’ve been listening to metal all my life and I feel like it’ll stay that way. My future children will likely grow up as little metalheads, and I’m looking forward to it. :”D

There are certain songs that when I listen to them, I know they’re ones I want to keep with me and teach my kids the lyrics so they can sing them with me flying down the highway like my dad did with me. This is one of those songs.

Example: The Scarecrow by Avantasia

You should listen to this if you like classic rock music, powerful lyrics, AC-DC, inspirational music

So you’re an angel meant to walk down here
And you believe it’s all divine
And you don’t play by all those temporal rules
You watch the world begin to die

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And that’s it! I hope you decided to listen to one or two (or all…) of the songs above. If you decide you like metal and want to hear more, ask me for recs! If you already like metal, let me know some of your favorites! I’m always lookin’ for new music.

I tag:

ZezeeWithBooks
AllBoutThemBooksandStuff
ReadingExperienceswithNora
MetalPhantasmReads (hey friend I think you should do metal things. :”D)
DragonsandZombies
HadeerWrites
CaptainsQuarters
ThoughtsonFantasy

Happy reading!