My "April Fool's CD Swap" mix:

So, for the last several years, some folks from high school have organized and carried out a fairly sizable mix CD swap amongst themselves and some of their respective college buddies. This year, I finally decided to throw my hat into the ring. The final count was 27, which meant that every contributor would receive an eclectic package containing 26 unique musical experiences. And yes, I know it's way past April (April 1st was when all the CDs were supposed to be collected at the central person's place), but there were apparently several technical difficulties, and people were late with their mixes. So... here we are... and I think by now, everyone has gotten their CDs, so I thought I'd give mine a write-up.

I had abstained previously, knowing that my love for metal would likely fall on unwelcoming ears. But after my buddy Pat's moderate success with his last year's "The Music You Should Have Been Listening To" (or something like that) mix last year -- a showcase of classic heavy metal -- I figured the participants could stand another dose of metal. However, this time I'd bring them into slightly less familiar waters. I titled it "Some of the Best Metal You've (Probably) Never Heard."


I printed up a simple insert to go with each CD and included a disclaimer, of sorts:

"So, I felt this mix CD deserved a bit of a primer, given the chosen theme. In this day and age metal is quite the niche genre, so it’s probable that many of you are unfamiliar with it, apart from some of the biggest bands in the scene; i.e. Black Sabbath, Metallica, Slayer and the like. While I love these heavy-weights, there is a slue of amazing lesser-known bands out there fully deserving of recognition. With this mix, I tried to choose tracks from artists that many people have likely never heard of, but are some of the best in their class. I’ve also tried to select a fairly broad range of subgenres (thrash, power, melodic-death, sludge, doom, etc...) to give you, the listeners a taste of the different sounds and styles beneath the larger umbrella that is metal.

If you happen to be a metal fan, stop reading now and throw this disc into your stereo and crank it up! However, if you’re a newcomer and are feeling cautious, I implore you to give each track a full listen-through and try to appreciate these artists’ musicianship. By nature, metal is a powerful genre, and could be considered “aggressive” or “harsh,” but I believe there is enough variation in this mix that you shouldn’t be pummeled by relentless screaming. Good luck, and have fun. I would be thrilled if you all could find at least one band that sparks your interest. If nothing else, it was hopefully a learning experience."

I'm pretty proud of the track-list (even if there are some repeats from my "Metal Health" compilation). Click links for videos/samples:

1. "She's Gone Critical" - Bang Camaro (MA, USA -- 2008)
2. "Mercury Shadow" - Soilwork (Sweden -- 2002)
3. "Nothing Defeats the Skull" - Rumpelstiltskin Grinder (PA, USA -- 2009)
4. "Living Under Ice" - Hibria (Brazil -- 2005)
5. "Septic Detonation" - Municipal Waste (USA -- 2007)
6. "Noxious Utopia" - Abstract Rapture (Luxembourg -- 2008)
7. "No Remains" - Pharaoh (England -- 2008)
8. "Rounds of Rum" - Swashbuckle (NJ, USA -- 2009)
9. "Thank You, Pain." - The Agonist (Canada -- 2009)
10. "Rip Van Winkle" - Witch (VT, USA -- 2006)
11. "Asator" - Amon Amarth (Sweden -- 2006)
12. "How Heavy This Axe" - The Sword (TX, USA -- 2008)
13. "Backbone" - Gojira (France -- 2005)
14. "Electro-Violence" - Overkill (NJ, USA -- 1987)
15. "Ghost Prototype I (Measurement of Thought)" - Scar Symmetry (Sweden -- 2008)
16. "Blood on My Hands" - Demons & Wizards (Germany/FL, USA -- 2000)
17. "Shoulder to the Plow" - Breaking Wheel (MA, USA -- 2008)
18. "Bloodmeat" - Protest the Hero (Canada -- 2008)
19. "Transcendence" - Sylosis (England -- 2008)
20. "Deathonomics" - Revocation (MA, USA -- 2009)
21. "O' Appalachia" - Baroness (FL, USA -- 2007)