Lynyrd Skynyrd - Simple man

Maybe a classic, and may be well known, but I only recently discovered this song, actually a colleague showed me the version played live by Shinedown. I strongly recommend that performance, you can find it easily on YouTube, the vocal performance alone is worth the time to listen to, and the crowds reaction is just the kind that makes live shows worth listening to. Until then here is the original version, as recorded by Lynyrd Skynyrd back in '73. Enjoy!

Juliette Valduriez - Lost Paradise

This is a fascinating song played by a pretty and talented young lady Juliette Valduriez. Found it on YouTube just browsing recommended videos, and fell in love with the performance. It strongly reminds me of the style of Zakk Wylde. Awesome distortion and great shredding. Enjoy!

Viktoriya Yermolyeva - Echoes (Pink Floyd cover)

Most of you probably know the wonderful track Echoes played by the great Pink Floyd, but I doubt that all of you have heard this absolutely out of this world piano wonder, Vika - born Viktoriya Yermolyeva - performing it. I promise, even to those who know the song, it will be a completely new experience. For those of you that aren't familiar with the original song, it will surely be a good listen, and maybe make you curious to hear the original song. I found this incredible talent on YouTube, and spent the rest of the week listening to her renditions of famous classics. I hope you will feel the same way, her passionate and spot on playing has made me a fan forever. A style like non other, enjoy! 

Death - Voice of the soul

If you like classical music, if you like rock, metal, flamenco, symphonic music, if you like any kind of passion and complexity and groove and pulse filled music, but most of all, if you like the guitar, this song is an absolute MUST. Period. Just listen, and you will be privileged to take a peek into the genius mind and soul of the late Chuck Schuldiner. Called the godfather of death metal, he died in 2001, very young - 34 years of age. He is the only guitar player whom I admire and respect as much as I do David Gilmour, and besides his amazing guitar skills, he is probably among the best lyricists ever to write songs. Albums like The sound of perseverance or Symbolic, not to mention The fragile art of existence (by Control Denied, Chucks later band) are worth a read even if the music is not of your taste - it will make you think.

And we will always need more such brilliant material to make us think! RIP Chuck Schuldiner!

Clutch - Escape from the prison planet

Clutch is one of my favorite bands. The lyrics and the music are both very rugged, the vocals are melodic but often crude and harsh, the guitars have a very distinct crunch to them. The whole band sounds very unique, it's the kind of music I would expect John Malkovich to listen to in his bunker in RED. Enjoy!

If you are more a hard core blues kind of guy, listen to Electric Worry, for a western steampunk-ish groove try Eulogy of a ghost, and for pure hard rock just check out Burning beard or the Regulator. All incredible works of art. 

Acid Bath - Graveflower

A little darker than the other songs I've posted, but it is really worth a listen. Mesmerizing themes, eerie whispers, great lyrics, and of course heavy guitars. Not recommended for manic depressives, otherwise a wonderful song. 480p version sounds much better, especially the drums.

Keith Merrow - Pillars of creation

This is a simply amazing musician. No band, the guy is a one man army, and he plays an incredible guitar. Seven strings, for that below-the-basement low tuning, great drum tracks in the background, the whole package sounds great. The accent is on the riffs, which I really enjoy, it results in really ballsy, dynamic music. Ever since I've heard this songs, I'm thinking about buying a 7 string just to learn it.

The second video is a clip of him playing over the song. I really enjoy that version, he makes it seem easy to play, which I'm sure is not the case. Also worth checking out is the clip with Jeff Loomis (Nevermore) soloing over Keith's new material. He is one of the most complex guitar players I know, and even he seemed to have a hard time trying to keep up to par with the music in the background.

Enough said, enjoy the music, it is really exquisite.

God is an astronaut - Far from refuge

I found out about post-rock as a genre about a year ago, although I've known some songs from this style for a whole lot longer, I just didn't know there was a name for it. It's really the kind of music that's a joy to listen to while working, even if you need to really focus on what you are doing. This week one of my colleagues showed me this song, and I can't stop listening to it.

DOWN - Eyes of the south

A true masterpiece, with a really heavy feel to it. The build-up during the intro is just fantastic, as well as Phil Anselmo's vocal work over Kirk and Pepper's masterful, heavy guitar riffage.

Songs I like

This page is my collection of song which I especially enjoy or which have influenced or inspired me more than others. I will try to post frequently here, and touch many genres. I will also try to put more underground or less known bands in the list, because all of you probably know the classics well enough already, and rare gems are worth spreading.

Enjoy!