Today's Metal Tune

A killer metal song every day, something to start your day on a purely metallic note, or an afternoon pick-me-up. Heavy Metal is the Law

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Wednesday, June 10: Sevendust, "Silence"

Next lived up to its title and stayed the course for Sevendust even after leaving their longtime label and losing a key member: “Silence” carried on as usual and was a logic follow-up to Animosity and Seasons with Lajon Witherspoon’s vocals doing the melodic lifting.  Clint Lowery’s songwriting acumen was missed, but only slightly: Sonny Mayo was perfectly capable of playing this style of downtuned hard rock and Morgan Rose had plenty of his own chops as a composer.  The track was heavy in its construction and perhaps closer to the core Sevendust sound than the sometimes too bright Seasons, with just enough hooks come chorus time to reiterate the band’s potential as a radio act.

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Tuesday, June 9: Caligula's Horse, "Valkryie"

Things took off fairly quickly for Caligula’s Horse once Inside Out introduced them to a global audience: even though the market was already cluttered with prog metal groups (many of which were signed to the same label) the Australian band had enough personality and songwriting acumen to stand out.  And even as numbers like “Valkyrie” began to tilt the scales towards greater accessibility, there was still enough technicality in the playing and idiosyncrasy in Jim Grey’s warbling that the tune still felt distinct.  In certain ways Rise Radiant filled a void left by Karnivool’s lengthy absence and “Valkyrie” played in a similar lane with its jutting riffing counterbalanced by atmospheric and melodic vocals though it was more overtly heavy.

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Monday, June 8: Racer X, "Street Lethal"

The whole idea behind Racer X was tethered to its time and place, but the concept of classically trained and proficient musicians getting together and playing heavy metal covers alongside some original material carried through a few decades later with collectives like Metal Allegiance and Kings of Thrash.  The original recipe slugged it out on the Sunset Strip and didn’t so much reject hair metal as try to work around it, so Street Lethal’s title track ran parallel to Ratt and the like even as it was significantly faster and shreddier: a very young Paul Gilbert was playing for the thrill and noodling the Shrapnel way while Jeff Martin hollered like a California Rob Halford while still nodding towards Vince Neil.  Of course it was completely ridiculous, but “Street Lethal” offered something of a secondary history of ‘80s metal in that it showed how musicians were absorbing multiple strands of the genre and trying to apply more technique.

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Friday, June 5: Deep Purple, "A Twist in the Tale"

R.I.P. Jon Lord (1941-2012)

The Battle Rages On... was an apt title for a record that had no reason to exist other than as product to market Deep Purple’s 25th anniversary: Ritchie Blackmore wanted virtually anyone other than Ian Gillan at the mic, and the rest of the band (especially Gillan) were tired of indulging the guitarist out of fear he might depart.  That they pulled it together at all was surprising enough, but despite initial pans the record contained some hidden gems, with “A Twist in the Tale” being one of the handful of harder rocking numbers.  The guys didn’t sound totally in sync- especially on stage- but Blackmore brought one of his trademark elegant snaky riffs for Jon Lord to follow along with while Ian Paice delivered his distinctly classy propulsion.  Gillan sounded more bemused than angry even though he clearly hated every second with Blackmore, but he still reminded everyone that he alone made sense as Deep Purple’s singer.  And if one listened very closely, they might hear a rare instance of the Mark II lineup having a tiny bit of fun.

[metalsongoftheday]

Thursday, June 4: Picture, "Blood Out of a Stone"

Nobody was expecting or seeking a new record from Picture after over 20 years away, but Old Dogs, New Tricks was a surprisingly robust return to form.  It certainly helped that the reunion focused on arguably the band’s strongest lineup, as “Blood Out of a Stone” was a ripping and rampaging double-kick driven stormer that hewed closer to the band’s better material rather than the overly slick hair metal that ended their first run.  Pete Lovell’s vocals were definitely on the craggier side, but he kept up with thunder behind him pretty well considering the long layoff between records, and mostly the tune was just fun no-frills metal with a healthy measure of craft behind it.

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Wednesday, June 3: X-Wild, "Heads Held High"

X-Wild was a power metal band on account of the history of its members, but Monster Effect and “Heads Held High” were more like just straight up fast heavy metal and more like speedy Running Wild than the more melodic variant.  The riffs and drumming were frenetic, though the funny thing about Frank Knight’s screeching rasp in retrospect was that while it recalled Udo Dirkschneider in the moment they actually sounded more like Mark Tornillo.  But while Axel Morgan, Jens Becker and Stefan Schwarzmann inadvertently revealed they needed Rolf Kasparek’s leadership more than they wanted to admit, X-Wild at its best offered plenty of fun and frantic metal, and “Heads Held High” certainly fit that description.

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COURSE OF FATE - Sky is Falling (Official Lyric Video)

Taken from the album "Behind the Eclips" (January 30th, 2026)🎧 Stream, get it here: https://courseoffate.rpm.link/btealbumYT"Some walk in th

Tuesday, June 2: Course of Fate, "Sky is Falling"

“Sky is Falling” was mostly prog and math metal, but the vague grunge elements Course of Fate brought to the track added some interesting wrinkles.  That it was still a bit dramatic came as no surprise given the prog, but the tune felt a little dirtier and slightly more organic as a result.

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Monday, June 1: Sepultura, "Subtraction"

Arise was mostly an incremental progression from Beneath the Remains, with the key distinctions being Max Cavalera getting better at English and Andy Wallace’s mix adding more space for Igor Cavalera’s drumming.  Otherwise, “Subtraction” was a pretty straightforward thrash number and a logical next step for Sepultura: it was fast, frantic and had a prototypical dry Morrisound production from Scott Burns.  But in the margins there were some meaningful developments, as the Cavaleras and Andreas Kisser were growing as musicians and writers and Wallace brought out Max’s charisma as well as Igor’s power groove.  This was why people began taking Sepultura more seriously right as thrash was beginning to fade, because while they bore all the trademarks they were subtly elevating and evolving the sound.

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Friday, May 29: Dio, "Here's to You"

R.I.P. Ronald James “Dio” Padavona (1942-2010)

Strange Highways was a dark, heavy and difficult album, which made “Here’s to You” with its hollering and cheering both feel like a welcome respite from the borderline oppressive heft and also a little awkward.  Presumably it was meant as another Dio anthem along the lines of “Stand Up and Shout” and “We Rock”, and there was something of a hook in Tracy G’s riffing as well as the pre-chorus.  But Ronnie’s growling had the same belligerence that made “Jesus, Mary & the Holy Ghost” and “Evilution” total monsters and this iteration of Dio was all about beatdowns, so “Here’s to You” felt a bit stuffy and claustrophobic even as the lyrics offered a rallying cry.  Ronnie was aiming for something very deliberate on Strange Highways and for the most part he achieved his goal of crafting a more modern metal record more rooted in the real world, but that created a weird dichotomy on “Here’s to You” that he couldn’t fully reconcile.

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Thursday, May 28: Lethal Steel, "Into the Void of Lucifer"

There were arguably more tunes like “Into the Void of Lucifer” coming out in the last 10 years than during the actual decade bands like Lethal Steel pay homage to, but the Swedish crew seemed to dig a little deeper by not only referencing the usual suspects but layering in more obscure (but still foundational and hugely important) countrymen like 220 Volt and Heavy Load.  This came out particularly in the vaguely Euro metal vocals, but really the entire tune was just straight up fast heavy metal that was nice and speedy like they used to make ‘em.

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Wednesday, May 27: Bruce Dickinson, "Soul Intruders"

Bruce Dickinson had built up so much goodwill from both his last two solo records as well as his enthusiastic return to Iron Maiden that the announcement of Tyranny of Souls generated far more excitement than anything he had ever done outside Maiden.  And tracks like “Soul Intruders” demonstrated that he and Roy Z. had a very clear grasp on their sound, as the guitarist’s riffing and production were heavy but also smooth while Dickinson went for a slightly different kind of theatrical grandeur in his bellowing.  These nuances did make Bruce’s solo output fully distinct from Maiden even if both were working off the same foundation, and in the case of “Soul Intruders” there was a lurching quality in the chorus that Steve Harris would never consider.  That the track was actually a bit lightweight didn’t feel like such a big deal since everyone was firmly in their zone, and the primary riff just slammed.

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Tuesday, May 26: Biblical, "Mature Themes"

While throwback acts trying to summon the mid ‘80s seemingly sprouted by the millions, “Mature Themes” was one of the few tunes to recall the indie/alt metal of the mid ‘90s.  Toronto’s Biblical was going for a few things at once on The City That Always Sleeps, tying everything together with a grungy production that played up the rawness of the material.  There was also an early ‘00s sleazy garage vibe which added both finesse and a little more wildness, though the synths were maybe one bit too much.  Still it was fun little raver that moved quickly and broke things with aplomb.

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Monday, May 25: Witchfynde, "I'd Rather Go Wild"

R.I.P. Graham “Gra” Scoresby (1956-2025)

All sorts of nonsense kept Witchfynde out of commission as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal crested and faded, so when they finally returned in 1983 with Cloak & Dagger it was with not only a different singer but to a scene that had begun to move on.  And to the extent that Luther Beltz was a dramatically different vocalist than Steve Bridges and Montalo and crew were ready to up the tempo considerably, the band was ostensibly ready to adapt.  But even though “I’d Rather Go Wild” was tailor-made for the moment Witchfynde retained its NWOBHM haplessness: Montalo’s riffing was skeezier take on Iommi and pretty fun as a result but still felt amateurish, while Luther Beltz’s ridiculous proclamations of youthful rebellion were made even more ludicrous by his absurd falsetto shrieking that made the whole endeavor feel Z-grade (which of course it was).  There was still plenty of fun to be had- Montalo was an underrated guitarist and the band knew how to bash out catchy heavy metal- so “I’d Rather Go Wild” had a certain goofy charm even if it unintentionally epitomized the downfall of British metal.

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Friday, May 22: Soilwork, "Natural Born Chaos"

Soilwork started to level up with A Predator’s Portrait, but working with Devin Townsend on Natural Born Chaos brought a focus to the group- and Björn “Speed” Strid in particular- that reframed their entire deal and set them on a different path.  But the title track left a little room for ambiguity insofar as it wasn’t quite as tightly structured as “As We Speak” or “Black Star Deceiver” and found Strid working his way through the chorus in real time.  Peter Wichers’ music had hooks but likewise didn’t always know how to best leverage the melodies he and Strid were aiming for.  What the track ultimately pointed to was Soilwork finding their way towards an approach that worked for them.

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Thursday, May 21: Witchfinder General, "Requiem for Youth"

Friends of Hell was mostly more of the same from Witchfinder General, right down to the ludicrous album art.  Then again, considering the pure awesomeness that was Death Penalty a redux was more than welcome, and the band’s second album was just as foundational in establishing the overarching sound and feel of doom metal.  But what separated Witchfinder General from everyone that followed was their sense of humor and fun- they carved out their own sound but were every bit as hapless as most of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and even if Zeeb Parkes’ moaning came closer than anyone to emulating Ozzy Osbourne’s primordial wail he also sounded even drunker and more confused than terrified.  All of that made “Requiem for Youth” as joyous as it was crushingly heavy: Parkes’ lyrics were actually trenchant (and depressing) commentary about the sorry state of the British economy in the early Thatcher years, but his stupefied warbling sounded like he was drunkenly trying to pick up chicks, and Phil Cope’s riffing brought punk energy to classic Iommi crunch.  The doominess mostly came from the heft of the guitars and swinging drums, but it was the force of personality and lovable goofiness that made Witchfinder General both so important as well as unique.

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Wednesday, May 20: Wild Horses, "Woman"

R.I.P. Jimmy Bain (1947-2016)

Although various foibles kept Thin Lizzy from truly taking off in America, they were apparently the epicenter of hard rock and heavy music in the United Kingdom in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s: it wasn’t just that they made great albums on their own, and it wasn’t just that they maintained connections with friends and past members, but their network practically became a self-contained entity that for a brief spell recorded from a single pool of songs each member contributed.  That was how Gary Moore established himself as a proper solo artist, how Phil Lynott built his two solo records and how the supremely messy combination of Jimmy Bain and Brian Roberston briefly established Wild Horses as a going concern (and on a major label no less).  “Woman” was strictly a Bain/Robertson composition, as Phil Lynott wouldn’t have written something so shaggy even at his most strung out- Bain’s sozzled warbling had none of Lynott’s rogue charisma though it could be endearing in its way, and as a co-writer and foil Robertson was only too eager to swim in the muck.  Even with the steadfast Neil Carter and Clive Edwards on hand to support there was a wooliness to Wild Horses that made them somewhat charming but mostly unreliable, and “Woman” reflected that by having the loose hard rock swagger that made this period a golden era for the music but also feeling slapdash and more than a little pointless.

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Tuesday, May 19: Green Carnation, "Crushed to Dust"

A Blessing in Disguise felt a bit like throat-clearing after the mammoth single-track Light of Day, Day of Darkness, and “Crushed to Dust” opened Green Carnation’s third record with an almost shocking verve- for a band rooted in doom the tune was pretty upbeat, or at least uptempo.  The Norwegian combo retained their penchant for atmospherics and dynamics, but the track felt like enough of a departure that it made clear the group wouldn’t be quite so easy to pin down.