I love metal. Metal is one of very few music genres that demands an equally rabid devotion from both its purveyors and its fans. Metal has evolved over the years, but the power and intensity that it is founded on has always remained unchanged. It will forever be the refuge of the misfit and the outcast because it is simultaneously empowering to the listener and off-putting to the average square. Most bands that play metal do it foremost for the love of the music (commercial success is beyond a long shot). And when you play music with a pure heart, that passion makes it one of the rare, good things in this world.

One of my personal favorites came from right here in Los Angeles. Well, Inglewood to be exact. 16 broke up a few years back but they left some great records and more than a few bruised ribs. They still play every once in a great while, and it’s always an intense show. Wanna see Japanese kids go apeshit? Book a 16 show in Tokyo. Then stand back. Check out “Drinkin’ Strychnine” below.

It’s become something of a heavy metal inside joke, just how many bands hail from Norway/Denmark/Scandanavia in general. Laugh all you want, but when’s the last time you burned down a Christian church for your pagan beliefs? The Swedish band Craft may not be dropping any matches, but they are dropping some of the heaviest riffs you’ve ever heard. And give a listen to Satyricon from Norway… metal doesn’t get much blacker.

If European metal is dark and precise, perhaps American metal is just a little bigger & burlier. Especially if it’s from the American south. Atlanta’s Mastodon is one of the biggest & burliest sounds I can think of. There’s also my current favorite, The Sword from Austin. They’ve been compared to Sleep and Black Sabbath, of course. But they’ll rock your face in half, and they’ll do it nobody’s way but their own.

Crank these up at work and start a two-person mosh pit with your boss. Your co-workers will love you forever.

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If you enjoy these tunes, tune into my radio show on kxlu 88.9fm 10a-2p every monday. we’re also streaming live at www.kxlu.com.

Tags: 16, black sabbath, craft, kxlu, mastodon, satyricon, sleep, the sword