The Random Ten #8

Alice in Chains - “I Stay Away” - Jar of Flies

A rock radio hit that still gets a lot of airplay to this day, “I Stay Away” is one of Alice in Chains’ most ambitious, unconventional songs. It opens with some beautiful 12-string acoustic guitar work and melodic vocals, before the pre-chorus kicks in with a really trippy, almost demonic-sounding riff with some equally sinister vocals. The chorus of the song is one of AiC’s best, with Layne belting it out over synthesized strings and loud, open-chord guitars. Cantrell’s solo is also one of his best on this track. Essential for any fans of majestic, epic 90’s rock.

Borknagar - “Oceans Rise” - The Archaic Course

One of Norway’s oft-overlooked and underappreciated black metal bands (although I’d use that term loosely to describe them), Borknagar really reached new heights with their third album, The Archaic Course. The addition of Simon Haestenes, a.k.a. ICS Vortex, on bass and lead vocals really took them to new heights, as his clean singing ability was superior to previous vocalist Garm, and the band’s songwriting also reached new heights. The opening track from The Archaic Course, “Oceans Rise” isn’t the fastest or heaviest song the band has ever recorded, but it’s arguably their most powerful. This is in part to Vortex’s amazing multitracked vocals, and the catchy, melodic riffing throughout. The somber acoustic outro is simple yet beautiful.

Killswitch Engage - “This Fire” - WWE Wreckless Intent

If you’re a fan of current-day WWE, you’ll recognize this as CM Punk’s theme song. A song recorded during the sessions for the band’s fourth album, “This Fire” is probably the best B-Side KsE has done, and is better than some of the weaker songs on As Daylight Dies. Featuring (surprisingly… not) some harshly sung verses, a cleanly sung chorus, and a brutal bridge, it sounds like a lot of other KsE tracks, but the riffs are crushing and it’s one of their better songs.

Carcass - “This Is Your Life” - Heartwork

A bonus track on later versions of Heartwork and from the Heartwork EP, “This Is Your Life” showed what direction Carcass was to head in on their final album, Swansong. The mix of death metal vocals with a pretty standard hard rock beat and structure was nothing entirely new, but never had the riffs and drumming seemed so simple. A step in the wrong direction according to some fans, but I’ve always found their “Death ‘N Roll” sound quite enjoyable, and this is a great heavy rock track.

Opeth - “Heir Apparent” - Watershed

Watershed opens with one of Opeth’s shortest, most mellow songs in “Coil,” which features just keyboards, acoustic guitars, and male and female vocals. The track ends with a dissonant keyboard note that ends up transitioning into “Heir Apparent,” arguably the group’s heaviest song of all time. The one-two punch of such a melodic, mellow track going into one of the band’s heaviest riffs is an incredible dynamic, and this song is full of great transitions and parts. There’s an almost black metal part with minor chord strummings and keyboards, there’s a trippy acoustic sequence, and the ending is a majestic, melodic piece that’s quintessential Opeth, but still unique enough to feel like it’s never been done before. I always fear new releases from Opeth, as they constantly seem to top themselves (okay, maybe Deliverance was a bit of a disappointment, but the companion album Damnation was simply incredible; you can’t expect a band recording two albums at the same time to have a complete winner in every track), and Watershed was no exception.

Public Enemy - “He Got Game” - He Got Game

Public Enemy’s last “hit” (although that’s a bit of a stretch), “He Got Game” is incredibly low-key for PE standards. Featuring a guest appearance from Steven Stills (who wrote the Buffalo Springfield track “For What It’s Worth” that “He Got Game” samples throughout), the song is a good mix of a rock classic with a new spin on it by Chuck D and an uncharacteristically understated Flavor Flav. I’m a big PE fan, and while this is definitely a big one-off for the group, it’s a great track.

Iron Maiden - “The Wicker Man” - Brave New World

The song that re-started Maiden’s career and brought them back into the hardrock and metal spotlight (due mostly in part to the return of vocalist Bruce Dickinson), “The Wicker Man” didn’t reinvent the Maiden sound by any stretch, but it also sounded fresh and exciting, something the band hadn’t really done since Seventh Son… in 1988. The also-returning Adrian Smith’s solo on this track is one of my favorites, and the song has become a bit of a live favorite. A great, uptempo rocker from the excellent Brave New World.

In Flames - “Square Nothing” - Clayman

Clayman is usually seen as In Flames’ last great album or their first step downhill. I personally never got the criticism. It was a little more stripped down than Colony, but no less melodic or heavy. “Square Nothing” is the most dynamic track on the album, due to the great clean opening and awesome acoustic bridge. When the song finally kicks in with the line “Spend some quality time/with my borrowed smile…” its impact is tremendous. This song has been largely forgotten by the band, probably due to its layers of guitars that make it almost impossible to do justice in the live setting, and that’s really unfortunate. Probably my favorite track from Clayman, “Square Nothing” is a perfect encapsulation of In Flames’ classic take on the Gothenburg sound.

Voivod - “Nothing Face” - Nothingface

Voivod are another band who rarely repeated themselves, and Nothingface was by far their most melodic, experimental album upon its release. Gone was the thrashing apparent on earlier classics like Rrroooaaarrr and War & Pain; in its place were almost funky grooves, atmospheric riffing and mind-boggling technicality. Voivod were always great musicians and innovators, but they really took it to a new level with Nothingface, and the almost-title-track, “Nothing Face” is a perfect example. Also features what is Voivod’s catchiest chorus ever.

Nirvana - “On a Plain” - Nevermind

If you’ve never heard Nevermind, you’re missing out on a hard rock landmark. “On a Plain” is a great song from an even greater album. One of the more straightforward tracks on the album, it doesn’t get too out there with instrumental breakdowns, it’s mostly vocals and pounding drums and guitars throughout, but it’s got a great melody and a chorus that fades out into some great harmonizing between Cobain and drummer Dave Grohl. One of my favorite Nirvana songs, although the MTV Unplugged version is even more effective with its slowed-down tempo and obviously quieter guitars.

Matt Steele