Every year, I take this opportunity to highlight the best songs I heard over the last twelve months, because when we break things down to the basics, songs are what music is all about. We lose sight of that sometimes, as we talk about albums the vast majority of the time. Many of the best songs are on the best albums, but we can't be tricked into thinking that is always the case. Great songs come from great albums, bad albums, and sometimes they stand all alone as singles. Whatever the case, songs and songwriters are the core of the experience, and today we give them their due.
10. The Birthday Massacre - The Sky Will Turn
Synths in rock music are tricky, but here is an example of using them properly. On this song, the shimmering synths blend with the deeper guitars to create an atmosphere that is both beautiful and foreboding. Combined with the delicate vocals and the subtle melody, this track is the sound of the shimmering moonlight reflecting off a pool of blood. The darkness sounds so lovely and intoxicating.
The word that comes to mind when listening to this song is 'rousing'. A lot of symphonic metal is powerful, even beautiful, but not a lot of it stirs feelings in me. This song is one of those that does, and that makes it special. There's a sense of drama you can't get by trying hard, that has to come naturally. Illumishade absolutely nails that here, and the result is a song that has endured through the year.
8. We Sell The Dead - Carved In Stone
It's been a long time since I heard Apollo Papanathasio singing a great song, and this single from the band's second record is absolutely that. His voice still has a remarkable tone full of an effortless, breathy rasp, and finally he has a song worthy of that instrument. This song is a classy rock song that fuses hints of old Rainbow with more modern touches, and an irresistable melody for that voice. It's a perfect song.7. Helion Prime - The Forbidden Zone
I would not have thought myself capable of being won over by a song about the movie, "Planet Of The Apes", yet here we are. Despite the subject matter, Helion Prime give us their best song ever, with some tricky chugging guitar riffs, and a sweeping and epic melody delivered with just the right amount of grit by Mary Zimmer. She isn't your typical power metal singer, and that means this doesn't sound like your typical power metal song, even if it might be. It's better.
6. One Way North - Myself Again
Making a modern rock song stand out isn't always easy, but that's what this song does. This takes the formula of bands like Tremonti, but wraps it in an even more mainstream melody. There's a drive that pushes the song forward, and like a car pushing you back into your seat as it accelerates, you're stuck in the way of its power.
5. Creeper - Thorns Of Love
Jim Steinman was my first musical hero, so anything that reminds me of him is sure to be a favorite. Creeper did that with this song, as the soul and doo-wop guitars of the verse give way into a huge Steinman-esque chorus, and the guitar solo even nicks the tone and licks of "Bat Out Of Hell". It's a throwback, but the best kind. There are times I am easy to please, and this is one of them.4. Yours Truly - Together
I found myself returning to Yours Truly often in the time since the record came out, and this song in particular. When I needed a song to lift my spirits, to remind me there was still happiness to be pulled from every day, this song is what did it. Yours Truly gave us a song with bright production, crunchy guitars, and one of those big pop hooks that digs into the side of your face and pulls it into a smile.3. Serenity - Souls And Sins
There's something about a great Serenity song that get stuck in your head. On their best album, this song stands out from the other great songs by being the very best of Serenity; dramatic, powerful, and unforgettable. There's almost a defiance to how the protagonist sings about the devil chasing him down, and that makes this an anthem of victory over the forces of evil. Man, it sounds to hokey when I put it that way...
2. Allen/Olzon - What If I Live
Sometimes an explanation is simple. Why do I love this song? Because it's magical. Yes, it is a traditional melodic metal song, but it's magical because of how Russell Allen and Anette Olzon's voices blend together, making that chorus truly epic. Because of them, the song is powerful beyond expectations, beautiful beyond what metal should be, and one of the most uplifting experiences of the year.
1. The Spider Accomplice - Crawl
I've written enough about this song already, but let me try to muster a few more. Power ballads work because they tap into something primal in our brains, as if they are the sound of hope and sadness mixed into a metallic grey. It's hard to explain, but you know the feeling when it hits. This song managed to do that better than any other this year, with VK's powerful expression of self-discovery and self-worth resonating with me for reasons I won't go into here. There were no stadiums rocking, but this song would be able to achieve the feat if circumstances allowed. In a year that was challenging on so many levels, music was our escape, and "Crawl" gave us the strength to dig our nails into the dirt and pull ourselves forward. I won't forget that.
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