Mors Principium Est – “The Glass Womb”
From the album: The Unborn

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Why this song most certainly doesn’t suck:

I sometime find my favorite track on an album is somewhat of a mystery, even to myself. The majority of Mors Principium Est’s 2005 album, The Unborn, is primarily comprised of a pretty standard (though by no means inferior) selection of melodic death metal. From album’s title track “The Unborn” to “The Harmony Remains” to one of my personal favorite melodeath songs, the album-opener “Pure”, I find the entire album to be a non-stop shredfest of moshtacular proportions. It’s heavy. It’s intricate. It’s almost a perfect blend of aggression and melody. To put it very simply… it’s plain damn good.

Porcupine Tree – “Blackest Eyes”
From the album: In Absentia

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Why this song doesn’t suck:
Porcupine Tree has been a non-metal favorite of mine for quite a long while now. While they often do get pretty heavy with their material, the majority of the time I would consider their work to be more along the lines of progressive heavy rock. Porcupine Tree mainman Steven Wilson certainly knows how to write some intricate, rocking tunes; of that I have no doubt. Many of their songs have a sprawling, airy, atmospheric quality… one of my favorite of which is “Anesthetize” from the band’s newest album Fear of a Blank Planet. If it wasn’t for the near 18 minute runtime of that specific tune, I would have posted it here.  However, I chose to post one of my favorite gems from the band’s 2002 album, In Absentia, entitled “Blackest Eyes”.

KMFDM – “Looking for Strange”
From the album: Tohuvabohu

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Why this song doesn’t suck:
I’ll be the first to admit that “Looking for Strange” from Germany’s industrial rock veterans KMFDM is neither the band’s heaviest, most complex or hell, best song… but I’ll be goddamned if it isn’t just about the catchiest tune that’s ever graced my much-abused eardrums. I’ve listened to it more times than I can recall, and without fail I enjoy it every time. One advantage to KMFDM is you’re never quite sure what you’ll be hearing from song to song… they’re known to mix numerous genres in their work, and while it always bears some industrial leanings, it certainly keeps things interesting.

Mercenary – “11 Dreams”
From the album: 11 Dreams

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Why this song most certainly doesn’t suck:
I’m going to start off my new Music That Doesn’t Suck series with a special one (to me at least). My first encounter with Mercenary was roughly 3 years ago, thanks in part to a Shoutcast station that was kind enough to treat my ears to the band’s unique brand of Dannish asskickery. Since then, I’ve been a huge fan of their entire catalog, which spans the last decade and includes a grand total of 5 albums. They’re pretty consistent with releasing a  new album of  power metal influenced melodeath awesomeness every two years or so, their last of which, “Architect of Lies”, was released this year (and yes, it’s amazing).