I know not all of you share my taste in music, and though I can’t forgive you for that grave sin, I’ll try to forget it.  In any event, it’s well-neigh some of you stopped listing to the same shit you’ve been jocking for the last 20 years.  Dimebag’s dead, assholes, and Lamb of God fucking sucks.

In an effort to expand your horizons a bit, I’m posting some of my recent faves, and then some older bands of which you’ve likely never heard.  Though you might not like any of them, or any of them at all, start looking for some new shit- I’m of the opinion that music can confer power in many regards, and can be the sole thing responsible for turning a completely shit workout into a gym-destroying rampage the likes of which few people ever experience, but we all wish we could replicate every day.  If you listen to a song too much, however, I’m of the opinion that it diminishes the song’s power, and thus its effectiveness in the gym.  As such, I leave my gym favorites on my mp3 player only to be listened to there, so as not to diminish their power.

I’ve never heard of this broad (Demi Lovato) but she tours with the Jonas brothers and does pig squeals while warming up.  Awesome.

Sound fucking retarded?  Eat shit.  It works for me.  You’ll notice the pace and tone of all of this shit is the same- it’s all drop-tuned, with tons of open chord chugging, and brutal fucking vocals.  I leave the odd-timed shit like Psyopus and Veil of Maya (their new disc’s fucking sick)  for writing, as it fucks up my pace in the gym and can be distracting.  You’ll notice a distinct lack of rap here.  Though I do listen to Sutter Kain, I don’t listen to much of that shit in the gym, as it’s a better sountrack to fighting and drinking rather than lifting.

Jerome
It’s been a long time since I got so fucking pumped for a band, but even with the gay ass name, these guys have brought brutality that could only have arisen as the awesome love child of Cannibal Corpse and “Satisfaction is the Death of Desire”-era Hatebreed.  They’ve got lyrics that inspire total fucking destruction:

i am not the antichrist i am just a fucking killer
i am not the antichrist i am just a murderer

let me see your fucking face
six feet into the ground
now i wear your fucking face

slit your fucking throat.
such a pretty face.
but it’s fucking wrecked.
eat the fucking gun
eat the fucking gun.

… and breakdowns that make you want to smash anything nearby.  Fucking sick.

Upon a Burning Body
If you can look past this band’s appearance, which is difficult, as they appear to believe that they’re fucking African tribesmen or something with 4″ plugs in their ears, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.  These guys are a bit more refined than Jerome, and probably a bit more accessable to the traditional metal fan, but still fucking brutal.  They’re far more technical than you’d expect out of a band of this ilk, but they definitely don’t sacrifice heaviness at all, and have enough hooks that the average metal fan would appreciate it.  Additionally, all of their songs are about Robert DeNiro movies, so it’s pretty fucking hard to go wrong with that.  Lastly, they’ve got a fucking drinking song- this means they fucking rule.  Ignore at your peril.

Demolisher
Demolisher’s one of the ultra-low-tuned bands that have arisen in the wake of the Acacia Strain’s success.  For any of you who know who the Acacia Strain is, they’ve pretty much set records fro tuning low, which makes them sound like they’ve got three or four bassists half the time.  I fucking love that shit, especially since lyrics for bands of that genre tend to be extraordinarily hate-heavy, and they pretty much do little more than profess their dislike for EVERYTHING, incessantly.  That, of course, makes it perfect for the gym. 

Attack Attack
I’m definitely calling my musical tastes into question with the more close-minded deathcore fans out there, but I love this fucking band.  They combine auto-tuned vocals clean vocals and dance music with sick fucking breakdowns, and though it sounds gayer than Christmas laughter, it’s fucking awesome.  Just try to ignore the skinny jeans and ridiculous gauges, and the fact that the combined weight of these poofters is less than your deadlift max, and give them a shot.  By the way, you’ll notice that the bands sounds much different between the first and the second albums, since they switched vocalists (the guy who did the clean vox before is now doing all of their vocals, and his growls are fucking awesome), and they drop-tuned their guitars, so they actually got heavier, while maintaining the same basic sound.

Float Face Down
Any of you out there long for the days of the mid-90s, when hardcore was a gang of dudes in jerseys actually hitting each other in the pit, while listening to music that consisted of nothing but badass lyrics, two step parts, and breakdowns.  Well, that time has returned, because Float Face Down has brought old school Jersey toughguy hardcore back, drop-tuned and with serious fucking growls.
“this is a promise to you, of unforgiving hatred.
feel the blade against your throat
i want to feel your airway collapse
i’ll never rest until you’re dead
don’t give me reasons you should live
i’m not listening anymore.”

That’s fucking killing music, right there.

Out To Win/ Mushmouth
Mushmouth was probably the angriest band in hardcore while they existed.  though their albums ranged in quality, they were always brutal, even after they were forced to change their name to Out to Win.  you can download their whole discography here.  Additionally, if you like this band, check out a band that named themselves after a Mushmouth song, Beg For Life.  I just heard them, and they’re fucking sick. 

Built Upon Frustration
This band had two albums of which I know, one of which was fucking amazing from start to end, and the other which was fair to middling.  Their first album, though, is fucking sick- Hatebreed-esque in sound, with slightly deeper vocals, and sick breakdowns.  I’ve got half of their first album on my mp3 player at all times.  Links to their shit are here. 

Blogs To Check Out For New Music
Royalcore
Path to Misery
Total Deathcore
Metal Injection

One last thing- if you like these bands, go see their shows and buy some merch.  These guys make no fucking money at all, and you should support them if you like them, especially if they’re helping you fuckers hit new PRs.

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