Top 100 Metal Songs 50-41

UPDATE 1/5/2010: Check out my new list, The Top 50 Metal Albums of The Last Decade

In case you missed them . . .
Introduction, 100-91, 90-81, 80-71, 70-61, 60-51

#50: “One-Winged Angel” by 植松伸夫 (Nobuo Uematsu)
Final Fantasy VII Reunion Tracks (1997)

This one is along the same lines as Carl Orff’s “O Fortuna.” It’s technically classical in style, but it still feels metal. This song played during the final battle of Final Fantasy VII, and I have to admit that I just let the music play for almost an hour before I actually got around to doing any fighting. In fact, I went and got a better stereo to hook up to the Playstation instead of using the TV’s normal speakers. It’s extremely dramatic.

#49: “Lord of This World” by Corrosion of Conformity
NIB (1994)

These good old southern boys did an excellent job of covering the 1971 Black Sabbath classic, making it sound like something in between Ozzy’s first band and Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society.

#48: “Bodies” by Drowning Pool
Sinner (2001)

This was quite possibly the most popular song in the country for at least a month around August of 2001 (the album was released in June). The hook is very addicting: “Let the bodies hit the floor!” It’s too bad the original vocalist died of a heart defect, because these guys were good enough and popular enough to turn nu-metal around and save it from the likes of Puddle of Mudd and Trapt, but alas, it was not meant to be.

#47: “Solitaire Unraveling” by Mushroomhead
XX (2001)

This is certainly the best song by this two-vocalist masked band. They’ve been accused of ripping off Slipknot, but in reality they started wearing masks before they ever heard of Slipknot. They certainly don’t sound anything like them. One vocalist has a heavy, scratchy voice, and the other has an eerie, nasally voice. The song itself defies description, but suffice to say that it gets the adrenaline pumping.

#46: “Toxicity” by System of a Down
Toxicity (2001)

I’m not much of a percussion man, but the drums probably push this song from the bottom half of the list up to the top. The chorus is especially powerful: “You! What do you own, the world? How do you own disorder, disorder?” Serj Tankian’s unique voice and the band’s unique Armenian-influenced style shine through as well in this criticism of the American culture of waste.

#45: “Iron Head” by Rob Zombie featuring Ozzy Osbourne
The Sinister Urge (2001)

The most iconic scary guy of heavy metal from the 70’s and 80’s joins with the same for the 90’s and 00’s for this one, and as always Ozzy’s voice contrasts well with that of the other vocalist, especially on the point-counterpoint chorus.

#44: “Brave New World” by Motörhead
Hammered (2002)

The legendary Lemmy Kilmister hasn’t lost any of his style or talent in his 25 years in the business (as of ’02). This one, however, gets away from the militaristic, sexist, or druggy lyrics that we’re used to from the man with the wart, and instead returns to the more serious side of “1916.” The deepest lines in the song: “God is on your side but I don’t think that you’re on his. If Jesus showed up now he’d be in jail by next week!”

#43: “Dead Bodies Everywhere” by Korn
Follow the Leader (1998)

It opens with single bass notes and eerie music that sounds like a demented music box, and then it pounds your face on the choruses. The verses are almost devoid of guitar, instead being carried by Fieldy’s clicky-deep bass. Jonathan Davis’s anger is evident on this cry for independence. I even used the following lyrics as my senior quote for the yearbook: “What’s your vision you see, what do you expect of me? I can’t live that lie.”

#42: “Tourniquet” by Evanescence
Fallen (2003)

“My God, my tourniquet, return to me salvation. Do you remember me? Lost for so long. Will you be on the other side or will you forget me? I’m dying, praying, bleeding, and screaming. Am I too lost to be saved? Am I too lost?” If the lyrics alone don’t send tingles up your spine, you should listen to Amy Lee’s powerful, beautiful (and Grammy-winning) voice through this crisis of faith. “My wounds cry for the grave. My soul cries for deliverance. Will I be denied? Christ, tourniquet, my suicide.” Johnny Loftus of all music guide said:

"Tourniquet" is an anguished, urgent rocker driven by chugging guitars and spiraling synths, with brooding lyrics that reference Evanescence's Christian values . . . . The song is Fallen's emotional center point and defines the band's sound.

#41: “Change (In the House of Flies)” by Deftones
White Pony (2000)

This eerie, sexy metal song appeared in the most memorable scene of the movie Queen of the Damned, in which Stuart (Stewart?) Townsend was in a tub with Aaliyah, rose petals floating on the surface, and she drank his blood. This disturbing sensuality is punctuated with visions of people suffering. That’s not why the song’s great, though. Chino Moreno’s lyrics sound like the poetry of a serial killer, with images of someone “changing” into something better, and him pulling off that person’s wings and laughing.

Jump to . . .
40-31, 30-21, 20-11, and the Top Ten

UPDATE 1/5/2010: Check out my new list, The Top 50 Metal Albums of The Last Decade