Title's pretty explanatory, but I know how some of you are (roald). Pick your four choices (sorry squally, you're just gonna have to choose your 4 favorite village people) for who's on your Musical Mt Rushmore. They can play any instrument and or be a songwriter or even a producer, I guess. The objective is to figure out the 4 people who shape the core of your musical preferences. Feel free to post recommended listening if you like, and you don't have to be nearly as in-depth as I'm about to be.
Here we go:
Matt Pike - The Guitarist
High On Fire, Ex-Sleep, Kalas, AsbestosDeath
This dude's riffitude is fucking amazing, and right up my proverbial alley. Fast, ridiculously heavy, and epically dramatic. His work in Sleep is legendary in stoner metal circles, and his Custom First Act 9-string is a flat out musical weapon. Check out Sleep's "Dragonaut" and High On Fire's "The Face Of Oblivion" if you're into stoner-doom, or just metal in general.
Brann Dailor - The Drummer
Mastodon, Ex-Today Is The Day
Until I heard Mastodon (now my favorite band), I never really had much respect for drummers. They seemed to just sit in the back and bang away on some boring beat. Then I heard this guy. Holy Shit. He's been described as a "jazz-fusion drummer trapped in a prog-metal band". I don't know enough about the drums to confirm or deny this, but his stuff is super impressive without having to go into a huge drum break every 30 seconds, which would be annoying as hell. Try Mastodon's "Colony Of Birchmen" and "Capillarian Crest" for some inspired shit.
King Diamond (aka Kim Bendix Peterson) - The Vocalist
King Diamond, Ex-Mercyful Fate
It's impossible to describe this guy. You'll just have to listen to get the full picture. He started as the corpse-paint wearing, accused-satanist, falsetto singing frontman of Mercyful Fate, a band widely regarded as the pioneers of Black Metal. After they split, he started his own band (called King Diamond) and continued his path of metal brilliance. Several records, collaborations with Dave Grohl and Metallica, and appearances on Adult Swim's Metalocalypse later, and he's still going all out as the King at age 55. His music will definitely not be for everyone, but its worth checking out at least a song or two just to get a taste of his awesome, Halford-esque vocals. I recommend Mercyful Fate's "A Dangerous Meeting" and King Diamond's "Welcome Home" for starters.
Josh Homme - Jack of All Trades
Queens Of The Stone Age, Eagles Of Death Metal, Them Crooked Vultures, Desert Sessions, Ex-Kyuss
Probably the most recognizable guy on my list. He's pretty much done it all musically. He was the founding guitarist for stoner-rock pioneers Kyuss, plays guitar and sings for QOTSA, Them Crooked Vultures and the Desert Sessions, and jumps between Bass and Drums in EODM, all of which are awesome groups. His riffs aren't usually flashy, but feature a heavy, almost signature groove that I've never really found in another guitar player. There's a lot to choose from, but I'd start with QOTSA's "Avon", Kyuss' "Gardenia", and Them Crooked Vulture's "Dead End Friends".
Here we go:
Matt Pike - The Guitarist
High On Fire, Ex-Sleep, Kalas, AsbestosDeath
This dude's riffitude is fucking amazing, and right up my proverbial alley. Fast, ridiculously heavy, and epically dramatic. His work in Sleep is legendary in stoner metal circles, and his Custom First Act 9-string is a flat out musical weapon. Check out Sleep's "Dragonaut" and High On Fire's "The Face Of Oblivion" if you're into stoner-doom, or just metal in general.
Brann Dailor - The Drummer
Mastodon, Ex-Today Is The Day
Until I heard Mastodon (now my favorite band), I never really had much respect for drummers. They seemed to just sit in the back and bang away on some boring beat. Then I heard this guy. Holy Shit. He's been described as a "jazz-fusion drummer trapped in a prog-metal band". I don't know enough about the drums to confirm or deny this, but his stuff is super impressive without having to go into a huge drum break every 30 seconds, which would be annoying as hell. Try Mastodon's "Colony Of Birchmen" and "Capillarian Crest" for some inspired shit.
King Diamond (aka Kim Bendix Peterson) - The Vocalist
King Diamond, Ex-Mercyful Fate
It's impossible to describe this guy. You'll just have to listen to get the full picture. He started as the corpse-paint wearing, accused-satanist, falsetto singing frontman of Mercyful Fate, a band widely regarded as the pioneers of Black Metal. After they split, he started his own band (called King Diamond) and continued his path of metal brilliance. Several records, collaborations with Dave Grohl and Metallica, and appearances on Adult Swim's Metalocalypse later, and he's still going all out as the King at age 55. His music will definitely not be for everyone, but its worth checking out at least a song or two just to get a taste of his awesome, Halford-esque vocals. I recommend Mercyful Fate's "A Dangerous Meeting" and King Diamond's "Welcome Home" for starters.
Josh Homme - Jack of All Trades
Queens Of The Stone Age, Eagles Of Death Metal, Them Crooked Vultures, Desert Sessions, Ex-Kyuss
Probably the most recognizable guy on my list. He's pretty much done it all musically. He was the founding guitarist for stoner-rock pioneers Kyuss, plays guitar and sings for QOTSA, Them Crooked Vultures and the Desert Sessions, and jumps between Bass and Drums in EODM, all of which are awesome groups. His riffs aren't usually flashy, but feature a heavy, almost signature groove that I've never really found in another guitar player. There's a lot to choose from, but I'd start with QOTSA's "Avon", Kyuss' "Gardenia", and Them Crooked Vulture's "Dead End Friends".
