And now, time for something completely different…
Since live music opened up again in 2022 after the COVID-19 lockdowns, I have been going to a lot of shows. Those of you who follow me on social media are well aware (whether you like it or not) given the video clips and photos I post on the regular haha. And I went to a lot of live music shows in the 80s and 90s before cell phones and when cameras weren’t allowed. There was a live music dead zone for me in the 2000s and 2010s, for reasons, but I am so so so thrilled to be back out there experiencing music up close and personal on almost a weekly basis, sometimes with my concert besties and sometimes solo.
I love a vast variety of music, just as I love a vast variety of reading genres. I mean, who wants to read the same kind of book all the time or listen to exactly the same kind of music all the time? Not me. That would bore me. But the bulk of the shows I go to tend to be heavy metal or punk or alternative music. The variety of subgenres within these categories is seemingly infinite. I love the aesthetic, aggression, and heaviness of the music. I also adore the weirdness, the quirkiness, the schticks, the corpse paint, and ultimately, the spectacle. I love the shows that are theatrical and unexpected as much as the shows that are musically impressive and fresh. And I love the shows that are ridiculous and rowdy. There isn’t much that can compare to the crowded, hot, sweaty camaraderie of a metal or punk show.
I was out doing some errands before Christmas and decided to pop into the Fair’s Fair Chinook location to browse the stacks for a little while. I never know what I am looking for when I peruse a used book shop. This time, my eyes landed on a book spine that read “The Top 500 Heavy Metal Albums of All Time.” And then my eyes landed on the publisher logo at the bottom of the spine – ECW, a Canadian publisher. Immediately intrigued, I pulled it off the shelf and bought it.
The cover of The Top 500 Heavy Metal Albums of All Time, available from the publisher in ebook format
On closer examination at home, I noted that the author, Martin Popoff, is a Canadian author of roughly a gazillion other music books. Interesting. I’ve never bought many music books, outside of a few biographies, so I had never heard of him before. Then I noted the publication date was 2004. So, not really the top 500 metal albums of all time, just the top 500 up to 2004. Kind of dated, but like backlist books are always new to someone, backlist music can be new to someone too. Flipping through the pages, I saw many bands I recognized and also many bands I had never heard of before… bands that are well known and bands that have faded from radio play and recognition.
I decided it would be tremendously fun to listen to all 500 albums and see what I thought about all of them. And then I thought, how fun would it be to share this listening journey with someone? I bounced the idea of turning this listening journey into written reviews/commentaries/opinion pieces for Butterflies & Aliens off Winston and he heartily approved because libraries have music too, not just books. Additionally, I think it will be interesting to bring my perspective as a GenX woman in her 50s to a genre that has been dominated by young men and male listeners, even though there are so many women who love it too.
I have no idea how long it will take me to listen to all 500 albums and write corresponding pieces about them, but if you are interested in following along and opening your earholes to some heavy metal, I’m going to start at album number 500 and count down to number one. The post timing will not be predictable or pre-scheduled. They will pop up randomly as I have time, and this listening journey is being done solely for fun.
Come along for the metal ride if you are so inclined!
– Stacey