5 Awesome Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Autumn Albums
There's this whole concept of the "summer song," to which I was introduced while performing my first tour of duty as a line cook. Basically, it's some douchey, happy go-lucky song, accompanied with lyrics about summer, parties, and swimming in the lake. While almost everyone can and should enjoy the fruits of summer, summer songs are decidely not my cup of tea. And I'm not alone, if to judge by the reactions of my other fellow cooks of yore. Maybe, I've just got a bunch of negative jackass friends, but summer songs can really grate on one's nerves after about first few measures.
And you can always hear those things coming a mile away. Even in the beginning of May, we'd have the summer song pegged, before the temperature had even breached 70. I can remember working frantically while some of those tunes played over and over that first summer. Luckily, we soon had iPods and Pandora to replace the rickety old stereo and summer songs were soon gone from our lives.
But there's a counterpoint to those saccharine sweet jingles: the fall album. It's the antithesis of a summer song: it's meant for slow enjoyment, relaxation, and reflection. You listen to an autumn album all the way through. There must be a slight touch of melancholy to it, but not hopelessness. No, that's better for winter. And if it features lyrics about autumn or fall themed artwork, then it's a winner.
I can't speak for all genres, and I'm not going to go into extreme metal, so here are my top 5 in the hard rock/heavy metal category.
5. Queensryche The Warning
Everyone seems to know Queensryche from their explosive concept album Operation: Mindcrime, so it's easy to overlook their debut album. And it's a gem. It's very Iron Maiden influenced, but the melodies on here are memorable and melancholic. The album is also very quiet, with subdued guitars and and drums taking a backseat to acoustics and vocal melodies. Though there are the prerequisite heavy songs like "En Force" and "NM 156," there's stuff like "No Sanctuary" and "Roads to Madness" which are definitely minor key. Even the anthemic "Take Hold of the Flame" feels a tad mournful.
I love throwing this album in my car and going for a drive on a sunny, yet hazy autumn afternoon.
4. Scorpions Lonesome Crow
We all know (and probably loathe) the Scorpions because of their cheesy, cheesy 80's pop-metal albums and clunky use of English. What most people in the States don't know is that they were a damn good band in the 70's, and influenced everyone from Metallica to Morbid Angel, in spite of their limited English skills. They put out 5 albums in the 70's, four of which are slamming, straight forward hard rock/metal, and then there's this, their debut. As a bonus, it features guitar wizard Michael Schenker's extremely melodic and tasteful soloing. In fact, every song sounds like he's just going off on his own.
Lonesome Crow is a weird album, owing more to British psychedelia and blues than hard hitting riffs and lame sexual innuendos that would characterize later work. But then again, Black Sabbath's debut was founded on the same principles, albeit with less psychedelia. Lonesome Crow features quite a few passages of acoustic/clean guitar, but a lot of downright heavy parts that rival Black Sabbath's debut. Just listen to the part near the end of the title track, and you'll hear exactly what I mean...it just makes you think of bare trees and the cold air of dusk.
3. Black Sabbath s/t
Is it the orange, autumn themed cover? Is it the sound of rain and a lonely church bell? I don't know, but Black Sabbath's debut is definitely a fall album. The songs are long, the production cold and dry, and it's certainly minor key. I mean, really minor key: that opening riff is based on the tritone, which was actually banned by religious authorities for sounding scary. This thing reeks of dead leaves, and moss covered graveyards. The music itself, much like the Scorpions' Lonesome Crow is not as focused, and feels more like jamming as opposed to actual songs, with ambitious bass and drum interaction and bluesy bursts of guitar.
On most occassions when I want some Sabbath, I reach for Master of Reality, Paranoid, Heaven and Hell, or Mob Rules. Those albums are much better written and produced, and more of what you'd expect from Sabbath (but seriously, Sabbath never put out a truely bad album--they all have redeeming qualities).When I'm sitting around writing on a rainy fall night, this is album is great company.
2. Lake of Tears Forever Autumn
A whole album dedicated to autumn sure as hell better be a good autumn album, and surprise, surprise, it is! And being half Metallica/half Pink Floyd doesn't hurt either. The only time the album kicks it up a notch is on two of the tracks; the rest is down tempo, mostly acoustic, and actually soothing. Most of it is ballad-esque, decidedly not very metal, but it's very enjoyable, and very autumn-esque.
I can think of nothing better than going up to Washington Island on a mid-September day, checking into my soundproof suite, then sitting on the porch drinking kava with this album playing in the evening. You of course can do the same, and sustitute your drug of choice to acheive optimal effect.
1. Type O Negative October Rust
This is the granddaddy of all autumn albums, as nothing fully encaptures every aspect of autumn in all its glory. There's a lot of variation in subject matter from love, loss, ghosts, burnt leaves, and a werewolf with a most unusual method of transformation. Type O Negative were very gothic-y, but they always managed to cut their misery with a healthy dose of humour, which keeps this album from being totally depressing, like their other albums. Another thing that separates this album from their other work is the fact that the songs are shorter and more concise. Yet, the album flows as a whole, a glorious soundtrack to the time of year from September to the beginning of December.
As an added bonus, the booklet of the album is filled with various nature pictures of autumn. As a 15 year old, those pictures captured my imagination and greatly enriched the listening experience. This thing can be enjoyed any time of the year, but I find that it only sounds right in the fall, when the streets are quiet and shadows grow long.
Honorable mention:
Mercyful Fate Don't Break the Oath
With the ghastly subject matter, icy guitars and haunting vocals, Mercyful Fate is a perfect companion for Halloween. Don't Break the Oath is my personal choice, but some prefer their debut, Melissa.
Opeth Morningrise
Maybe a bit too extreme for autumn with the death metal vocals, but Morningrise has long songs, acoustic sections and great melodies that bring autumn forests to mind.
Judas Priest Rocka Rolla
Any of Priest's first three albums could fit in this category, as they have that subdued quality that keeps them from being slamming heavy metal albums, and feature more melodic, proggy song writing.
