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We all have “those bands” that really got us started on a path in music, be it getting into metal in general, or into death metal, black
metal... bands that, for all intents purposes, changed our lives and molded what we listen to today. We are going to start featuring a
piece with each update on the bands that influenced us and special guests. This second edition features one of our newest writers, JW.
 IRON MAIDEN - Maiden were gods to
me. I was 12 years old and on a school trip, and we had some time left over after whatever the hell we had to do, so we went to a Turtles Records store, and I bought a copy
of "Somewhere In Time" because the artwork was cool. Within two months I had every Iron Maiden album. (Or rather "cassette," back then.) Without Maiden, I would still be
listening to Phil Collins, so for that I thank them. As a testament to how much Maiden means to me, I would like to mention that I even bought the Blaze Bayley records. And I kind
of liked them... But not a whole lot. Steve Harris is still the best bassist in the history of rock. Same amount of influence as the above, except
without Steve Harris: AC/DC, Judas Priest, the Ramones, and Ozzy.
FASTER PUSSYCAT - Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want... You were young once, too. And when I was young, I liked sleazy glam rock -
the New York Dolls were my idols, but they were long gone and little more than a critical review back then, being between their demise and their nostalgic resurgence, and while they were gone,
Faster Pussycat filled that void. I still have a signed and framed FP poster in my living room. Also of note in this category, but not
mentioned in my list here: Hanoi Rocks, Guns n' Roses, and the Dogs D'Amour.
 NAPALM DEATH - When it came to grindcore, I started at the top. I
bought "Utopia Banished" when I was 15. I didn't get it then, and in fact, I traded it in for some other record. Years later, I bought another Napalm
disc, and suddenly, it made sense to me, and that sudden realization opened the door to the world of grind... (For the record, I just picked up another copy of "Utopia Banished" a
few months ago, thus making it the first and last Napalm album I've purchased.) Also of note to me, regarding grindcore: Carcass and Nasum.
KING DIAMOND/MERCYFUL FATE - I'll lump them together, despite that they're good enough to stand alone. King's voice is a love-it-or
-hate-it situation, and we all know it... I borrowed a cassette from my friend Josh in 10th grade, and I loved it. (The voice, not the
borrowing or the cassette... Couldn't have cared less about either of those.) Other classics I love (and you should, too): Kreator and Venom.
OBITUARY - My gateway into death metal... I saw a kid in the record store with a "Cause Of Death" t-shirt, and then I saw a used
copy of the same record, so I thought, "Huh. What are the chances of that?" and I bought the disc. It took me a few listens
to get it, so to help me, I bought "The End Complete." Then I got it. Then I bought all the rest. Also of note to me at that point in
my life: Malevolent Creation, Danzig, and Sepultura.
SOILENT GREEN - Straight from the muck of New Orleans, the boys of Soilent Green conjure up an ugly mass of grind and sludge.
"Sewn Mouth Secrets" is a masterpiece, but oddly, "Deleted Symphony Of The Beaten Down" finds its way into my player more. Dunno why. Better cover art, maybe?
GOOD CHARLOTTE - I'm just kidding. This band fucking sucks. So does Nickelback.
BAD RELIGION - A punk band with actual intelligent thoughts... Huh. I'll be damned. With the exception of the Clash, no punker
has ever been able to back up his/her ideology with logic and rationale as well as Greg Graffin does. And not since the Sex Pistols has anyone spit as much piss and vitriol at the system.
Absolutely brilliant, in both ways.
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Check out the previous edition of Influential Metal Bands.
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