I MISS MY MTV

HEADBANGER’S BALL

THE PROMISE – IN THIS MOMENT

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 I love me some lady metal – nothing is more surprisingly awesome than a hot chick letting loose a demon growl. My tolerance for screamo is fairly limited though; I’m all for it when used sporadically for emphasis or heighten the intensity of the song but any more and my ancient brain just can’t handle the migraine. Which is why I love Maria Brink, the girl can make ears bleed with the best of them but also has a strong, melodic voice that soars above the band’s thrashing. This video makes the band look like a hardasss Lady Antebellum so they’re probably not for your blackest of souls but I for one appreciate the pearls and parasols with my head banging so this video will tide me over until the new album rumored to come out this spring. – AS

 VOLBEAT – A WORRIOR’S CALL

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What a coincidence this week’s I MISS MY MTV happens to be Headbanger’s Ball, for I just heard A Warrior’s Call for the first time yesterday. Ever since I have been headbanging to it… well, more like softly bobbing my head back and forth. I’ve been in public a lot. And though I cannot condone unsanctioned violence, I do happen to love a good organized fight for sport, and this song by Volbeat is ALL about the FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!-KM

VERSUS THE MIRROR – BIRTHED BY ARCHITECTURE

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Even non-headbangers or ball-goers can appreciate the approach this band took to music.  They recorded their entire record onto tape and using only vintage equipment.  That’s why their album sounded both well-produced and exactly like their live sound.  Considering some of the sounds in this song, that’s pretty impressive.  And as artsy as their approach to recording is, their songs are still reasonably accessible and hooky, especially for an all-screaming band.  But they broke up. – DT

THE DIRTY YOUTH- FIGHT

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This band sounds like a dying production company looked around, realized that Paramore was pretty big a few years ago and that heavy music might come back in style soon. There’s no passion or vitality in the music at all, and the girl sings like she knows a tough girl should. The band isn’t terrible, just not the group people will get obsessed with and talk incessantly about…. that might actually be a check in the pros column. The flashing lights over a darkened stage, half-hiding the band in shadows has been done countless times, and I know it’s hard to think of an original idea if you’re not OKGO, but why pick the most boring idea possible? No one likes the shaky cam, quick cut, zoom in on the band for the whole video. Give us something to latch onto, to care about. That’s pretty much my complaint with this band in general. Obviously they’re trying to stand out with the girl singer with pink hair, but again been there done that. And why is metal the place where girls who would be sort of cute go to be hot? MTV would eat this shit up.-MG

LAMB OF GOD – REDNECK

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This isn’t exactly a new song, but I’m including it for a few reason.  For one, the song alone is solid and pays homage to some of the more traditional metal bands who understood that metal was all about thrashing, screaming, and infecting your music with a combination of rage, intensity, anger, and a general “Who gives a shit?” attitude.  Beyond that, however, is the video, where the music serves as a fitting backdrop to the humorous and charming story about a metal band being hired to play for a little girl’s birthday party.  Things are going perfectly swell at the party with balloons, cake, and tasteful decorations set up by the suburban yuppie parents.  And then those assholes from Lamb of God show up and completely trash the joint.  Refreshments are knocked over, toys are broken, and a clown gets punched.  If that’s not an awesome birthday, I don’t know what is.  -BH

GOATWHORE – APOCALYPTIC HAVOC

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This video is full of cheesy, metal bullshit (upside down crosses! really?!) that makes your typical metal head either roll his eyes or throw up the devil horns. Either way, metal heads are wrong. While this song is technically amazing, you cannot be amazed by someone’s technical skill alone. When you are making music, you also need to make sure that you are making music and not just showing off your chops. This song is horse shit and I think the band might know it but with the way the video was shot and the components that exist (random close ups, shaky cam, heavily saturated green lighting scheme) make this an excellent addition to the garbage that is headbanger’s ball. – JRN

P.S. – I don’t hate metal. I hate bad music. This is the latter.