March haben sich über die letzten Jahre sicherlich einige Herzen erspielt. Für mich macht ein großen Teil der Energie der Band Drummer Thomas aus.
Die Band hat dieses Jahr bereits zwei Singles veröffentlicht, da war es passend das Metronom der Band mal nach seinen zehn Lieblingsplatten auszufragen!
Achtung, es wird laut!
1Ozzy Osbourne – Live & Loud
As an 11-year-old boy, I was staying at my aunt’s, sitting on the couch watching MTV when this live clip from Crazy Train came on. From that moment on, I was instantly hooked on Ozzy Osbourne. It took me a few years to figure out which live recording it was. This record is from the No More Tours tour, Ozzy’s original farewell, and all the hits are featured (Mr. Crowley, Desire, Miracle Man, to name a few). Ozzy is at his absolute peak, also in terms of the band, with Zakk Wylde and Mike Inez (bass) alongside Randy Castillo on drums (absolute legend!).
However, after this the studio album Ozzmosis was released, and that is perhaps his darkest album. Maybe a bit underrated, but one of his best albums for sure. Be sure to check out the song Tomorrow!
2Megadeth – Youthanasia
Around the same time, I was discovering a lot of metal and that’s how I ended up with Megadeth.
Of course, albums like Piece Sells… and Rust In Piece are highly regarded in many top lists, but later in the 90s Dave Mustaine wrote his best songs, not so much his best riffs (although…?)
Songs like Train of Consequences, Addicted to Chaos, and Youthanasia show how this band evolved and added much more depth to the songs. Incidentally, this was also Megadeth’s best lineup (Nick Menza ftw).
It’s just a shame that Dave Mustaine decided to remix this album in 2004, ruining part of the vibe. If you’re going to listen to this on Spotify, make sure you choose the 1995 version!
3Cradle Of Filth – Dusk… and Her Embrace
This time, a friend of mine brought home a videotape featuring a band I really had to check out! It was a live performance by Cradle of Filth with the song Malice Through The Looking Glass at Headbangers Ball on MTV. I was completely blown away. What a sound, what a genre, and above all, what a voice! The very next weekend, we went straight to the music store to buy the CD. Since then, Cradle (especially the old work) has held a special place in my heart. Love it or hate it, Dani’s voice is truly unique.
Additionally, the drumming on this record is by the legendary Nicholas Barker. It is not without reason that he is loved by many. To me, he is the ultimate black metal drummer with a perfect combination of speed and melody, always serving the song.
Be sure to check out Beauty Slept In Sodom and Haunted Shores on this record.
4Death – Symbolic
In the aforementioned episode of Headbangers Ball, there was another band that caught our attention. With the song Lack Of Comprehension, Death also hit like a truck.
Sick riffs and fantastic drumming by Sean Reinert. This shit was heavy!
After some searching, we discovered the more recent album Symbolic, and this album is the perfect technical death metal album from start to finish. Gene Hoglan’s drumming is so creative, especially with his cymbal work. It is not for nothing that Hoglan is a legend among metal drummers. Recently, I was finally able to apply his influences in the March song Greed.
Be sure to check out Zero Tolerance, Sacred Serenity, and Crystal Mountain.
5Thin Lizzy – Live and Dangerous
It was only in recent years that I started to appreciate Thin Lizzy, and Phil Lynott in particular. Of course, I knew a number of classics, but it wasn’t until I heard Mastodon’s cover of Emerald that I really started to take interest in the band.
I think this record really demonstrates what a good songwriter Phil was, in addition to being a good bassist. And his voice is one in a million.
Besides the song Emerald, Don’t Believe a Word is of course a must-listen, but be sure to listen to The Sun Goes Down as well (although not on this record). And definitely check out the live concert in the UK from 1983 on YouTube.
6Danko Jones – We Sweat Blood
Somewhere in 2002, a guitarist from my band at the time put on Play The Blues from the album Born A Lion and I was instantly hooked. Catchy, grooving, but also hard rocking.
The album that came after that, We Sweat Blood, is a real classic. The band sounds so pure and raw on this album, but grooves like crazy. Just check out the opener Forget My Name. It is proof that the drummer makes the audience dance! Damon Richardson was the best drummer Danko Jones ever had. Also check out the groove of Heartbreak’s a Blessing. So tasty!
7Alkaline Trio – Good Mourning
After all the metal and hard rock mayhem, it’s about time for some punk, right?
Alkaline Trio is one of my absolute favorite bands. Matt Skiba’s voice combined with Dan Andriano’s is so fucking awesome! I discovered the band through the song Time To Waste on MTV, and my bassist at the time pointed me to the album Good Mourning. A bit darker and less polished than Crimson, it is the perfect Alkaline record. This band has that perfect dark emo edge.
Besides this full album, check out Live – Halloween at The Metro from 2002 on YouTube. Classic!
8Boys Night Out – Trainwreck
A relatively unknown band from Canada, and undeservedly so.
The debut album Make Yourself Sick hit me like a bomb and was one of the few times I could fully appreciate the emo-pop-punk-screamo music style.
After that came the concept album Trainwreck, which was a real step up and is so well executed. Musically, there is much more to it than just emo and punk; there is quite a bit of progressive rock and post-hardcore in it, but above all, the concept is put together in a cool way. You start with a doctor who has just had to let his psychiatric patient go. After this, you are taken on a rollercoaster of emotions and despair, drug abuse, and grief. The patient cuts off his hands, becomes infected, speaks with his dead wife—an absolute horror story.
It must have been such an incredible undertaking for the band to create this masterpiece; so much respect. Check out this entire album and immerse yourself in the story.
9Banner Pilot
To stay somewhat in the punk spirit, I chose this record by Banner Pilot.
I enjoy playing this record on the bus when we’re on our way home with March after a weekend of playing shows in Germany. It just feels good!
In my search for an explanation, I came across the following, so I have to quote it:
It’s singalong without being fist-in-the-air punx; it’s pop without being insultingly repetitive. The balance they strike defines them, setting them apart from most peers, and making it a hard sound to pigeonhole with a specific genre.
Loren – scenepointblank.com
And I think that sums it up well. Highly recommended.
10Cwfen – Sorrows
I don’t quite remember how I stumbled upon this band, but back then (2024) they had only released 1 or 2 songs. I played these to death.
I’m normally not such a fan of doom music, or as they describe it themselves: Heavy, haunting doomgaze from Glasgow. So I had been looking forward to this debut album for a long time, and it was my absolute number 1 of 2025.
This female-fronted band is still quite young, but they are already touring as the opening act for Paradise Lost. They could well become big. I hope to see them live sometime soon.
Dark, slow, tormented, but so good. Check out Bodies and Rite.
Mit dem Laden des Videos akzeptierst du die Datenschutzerklärung von YouTube.
Mehr erfahren
