Five Records That
Shaped a Young, Musical Brain
We
often think about what our favorite albums are- probably the ones we find
ourselves listening to most regularly, but it could come as more of a challenge
to decide which of these records have played the largest role in actually shaping
the person we have become musically, morally, or otherwise, and exactly how the
hell they were able to do that. That being said, this list is just that for me,
and I would encourage anyone who is unfamiliar with these masterpiece records
to change that. These are not all necessarily the best albums of all time
(although if I were to make that list as well there would be a considerable
overlap), but the ones that have changed the way I approach creating music for
Cryptodira, as well as how I conduct myself in everyday life.
5. Cynic- Traced in Air
After
only one full length release in 1993 that pushed every single boundary of metal
music, Cynic disbanded for a multitude of reasons, most of which boiled down to
being unaccepted for being light years ahead of their time. A fourteen year
breakup eventually came to end with the release of 2008’s Traced in Air, a (too-short) 35 minute roller coaster that hits
every bit of the emotional spectrum. To this day I haven’t heard a record that
better combines technically proficient playing, ear-pleasing melody, and, dare
I say, “pop-like,” song structure quite like this one. Its emphasis on smooth
composition has always served as a reminder to me to make sure everything I
write or contribute to writing flows naturally. The way Paul Masvidal’s urgent
yet gentle singing sits on top of the growled background vocals during
“Integral Birth” has stuck with me since the first time it sent chills up my
fifteen year old spine, and the effect-driven, chorus saturated clean tone has become
a staple in my own sound thanks to this record.
4. The Dillinger
Escape Plan- Option Paralysis
As a young, babbling idiot
(a.k.a. an early high school student), I said my fair share of negative things
about Dillinger. I was too young to understand that this
garbage-can-falling-down-stairs music was actually brilliant, but somewhere
along the line, my bandmates had convinced me to give it another shot (after I
had been caught enjoying “Widower”), conveniently right around the time that Option Paralysis was released. I braced
myself for the start of the record, but I distinctly remember damn-near
shitting my pants after the opening chords of “Farewell, Mona Lisa,” on my walk
to the bus stop. Despite my best efforts to not like it and be right (the most
important thing in the world in high school), I couldn’t deny how infectious
the visceral attitude of the music was. Since then, DEP has shaped the very
work ethic and musical dignity of Cryptodira- play the show, play it fuckin’
hard, and leave everything you’ve got on the stage. While it isn’t my favorite
DEP record, Option Paralysis sparked
my love for one of the greatest bands in the world, and for that it deserves a
spot in my heart and this list.
3. Death- Symbolic
Another legendary act from
the Florida death metal scene (I promise, no more after this), Death is
arguably the most important death metal band of all time. As a teenager, I
remember being turned on to Death by the drummer of my own band and almost
immediately, I became fascinated with the story of Chuck Schuldiner,
vocalist/guitarist/founding member of Death. After defying all odds to become
successful, the evolution of Chuck’s music reflected how important he felt it
was to constantly grow as a band in a world where mediocre music reproduces
itself constantly, which is an ethic that I’ve adhered to since this time in my
life. To me, Symbolic was the golden
age of Death where Chuck had found the perfect blend of heavy, traditional
death metal and the melodic/progressive elements that had slowly found their
way into Death’s music. Death inspired my love for the four-piece/no
stand-alone vocalist aesthetic for metal bands and without this record, I most
likely would have been way too much of a chicken-shit to suggest that I do
vocals in addition to my guitar duty for Cryptodira when our original
stand-alone vocalist had left the band. Thanks for this metal masterpiece,
Chuck.
2. Green Day- American Idiot
No, this is not a guilty
pleasure. Yes, I still love this album to death. This record is the one that
started it all for me. It’s the one that made me harass my parents to buy me a
guitar for my birthday, and the one that has ruined my ability to settle for
any career path but music, and for that I owe it everything. Despite criticism
from fans of older Green Day albums, American
Idiot truly is the most complete work that the band has ever produced with
its more complex song structures, its use of auxiliary instruments, and its
theatrical and cohesive flow. I actually wouldn’t even believe someone who
would argue that “Basket Case” is a better song than “Jesus of Suburbia” (not
to say I don’t love Dookie as well, because I do). Simply put, this record
inspired my love for music and geared my young brain toward liking conceptual
records over records that feel more like a collection of songs. Not much else
to say about it other than that my life wouldn’t even be close to what it is
right now if I had never heard this record. Love it forever, love it to death.
1. Between the Buried
and Me- Colors
While this list is generally
in no particular order, I would have to say I put this album at number one for
a reason. Sometime in 2007, a friend of mine had showed me the song “Selkies:
The Endless Obsession,” from Alaska,
and I remember being floored by the incredible melody of the end section, so I
figured I’d explore further. Luckily for fourteen year old Scott, Colors had just been released, and that
same friend of mine was hell bent on making sure I appreciated this band, so I
checked it out. At first, the sheer density of this record made it fly a bit
over my head, as I liked it, but I wasn’t convinced it was all that special.
Still, for some reason I felt like I had to check it out again. Then again. And
again. With each passing listen, the complex layers of the music began to
permeate my young brain, making me hear new things every time that I could
swear weren’t there the last time. The riffing style was like nothing I had
ever heard before and the complexity matched what I was used to hearing from
bands like Dream Theater, but with a visceral edge that I felt filled the void
of what was missing from progressive music. BTBAM proved to me that it was
possible to be progressive and extremely aggressive all at the same time. To
this day, the intro riff to “Prequel to the Sequel” is one of the greatest
riffs I have ever heard in my life. About eight years later, I am still sitting
here trying to peel back the layers of this masterpiece of an album that I
consider to be possibly my favorite of all time.Extremely Honorable Mentions:
Dream Theater- Train
of Thought
Converge- No Heroes
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