Top 10 Favorite’s Of All Time According To Jay

Behind the scenes here at Analog Hype, we’ve been conversing amongst ourselves about the many different ways we want to keep our readers entertained. One of the ideas that has been bandied about is the return of Analog Hype Radio. Once our fearless leader Marcus gets home from the sandbox in Afghanistan, I have no doubt that is something he and Krome will delve into further.

While watching their conversation, though, the wheels that make my brain work started turning inside my head. There is no way I can contribute to their show. There was a point recently that I found myself asking “what the hell is a Lady Gaga?” and unfortunately, now that I know, a little part of me has died and will never be the same (for the record, that’s a dude). To say I am not in with what is hot on the radio today would be an understatement. Now I know for a fact that their show will have nothing to do with Sir Gaga unless it involves dick jokes, but I digress. I am just emphasizing how little I could contribute.

Then I thought… what about a second version of Analog Hype Radio? Hosted by the Double Jay’s. I have a background in radio and I have been heavily involved in the rock, metal and hardcore scenes for as a writer and photographer for almost 10 years. It’s something I’m considering, so we’ll see where it goes. With news being slow this weekend, I am going to reference my Last.FM profile and try to come up with my 10 favorite songs of all time, which legitimately could turn into 10 Sevendust songs, so for the sake of trying to get all the bands I love some shine, I am only going to choose one song per band. This is one of those articles we would normally save for a rainy day, and even though it’s actually beautiful outside, I don’t have much else on my plate, so here we go:

10. Machine Head “From This Day” – I could have copped out and chosen “Imperium” or “Aesthetics Of Hate,” but there is no two ways around this song being my favorite Machine Head song. This is an era of their career that they would rather forget, and the video is pretty much awful and embarrassing, but I am staying true to my roots. The irony of this song is that it represents a time in their career that they tried to hit the mainstream crowd and get people’s attention, and that is exactly how they got mine. I heard this song on the radio and bought the album blindly, just because I couldn’t get the song out of my head. I listened to the song on repeat non-stop for about a month without ever listening to the full thing, and eventually buried it on my shelf to be forgotten. A few months later, I happened upon it and realized I hadn’t given the whole thing a chance, so I decided to dust it off and throw it in. In the time I got in my car and got to wherever I was going, I was sold, and actually ended up going straight to Best Buy that day and bought their entire back catalog. They eventually grew out of this phase and put out two of the most incredible albums I have ever heard a few years later, but this song will always be the one that makes me think of Machine Head.

9. With Honor “Pipe Dream” – Shameless plug here, but not by choice. The video I chose for this song is one that I made myself, because this was actually a B-side style song that was only released on their “greatest hits” style CD. It’s unfortunate that this band came and went so fast, because they were one of the most amazing hardcore bands I ever saw. Few crowds will ever give a band the type of energy you would see With Honor get, as you will see in some of the photos in the video. The picture that is the “cover” Youtube chose is the epitome of everything this band was, showing their singer Todd Mackey lost in a sea of fans. What you may not realize is that the picture is on stage after the crowd rushed it. Simply insane.

8. .hopesfall. “The End Of An Era” – “My searching eyes have never been so intrigued to see you here, I guess you found a way to make 10 minutes last forever.” Simply one of the most amazing and though provoking lines for a song I have ever heard. It’s a line that pops into my head at random and makes me think of so many moments, people and places in my life. .hopesfall. is a band that came and went too soon, which seems to be a trend with a few bands on this list. There was a point in time when they were every bit on the level of the top two bands on my list, but some of their work before they broke up started to tread down a path I had a hard time following. This song is epic, a total journey of emotions with dynamic and dramatic musicianship that few can touch.

7. Killswitch Engage “The Rose Of Sharyn” – This one is hard for me, and holds a very special place in my heart. I want to tell you the story of a girl named Jennifer Board. She was one of the most amazing people I ever met in my life, and this song will always make me think of her. She was my best friend, and her life was cut way too short by cystic fibrosis. She was one of the few people in life that made me understand the meaning of unconditional love. “It won’t be long, we’ll meet again. My love for you is everlasting.” I am not even remotely ashamed to admit that there are times when this song can bring me to tears… and that is the power of music. The irony in this is that Jenn would have probably hated this song, but put up with it just for me. Hey, loud, angry music isn’t for everyone.

6. Unearth “Endless” – I almost went to this show. It was in Long Island and I knew they were filming a DVD but I couldn’t find anyone to make the five hour drive with me. After watching the video a couple thousand times, I definitely regret it. This is my jam right here. Fast and furious, and everything that makes Unearth so amazing. One of the most amazing shows I ever saw was Unearth at the old Met Cafe in Providence, Rhode Island. This place was tiny, and there were MAYBE 20 people there. This band is simply incredible, and puts on one of the most intense live shows you will ever see.

5. Shadows Fall ” To Ashes” – There are two versions of this song available, with the original appearing on the bands debut album, and the second being re-recorded on their Century Media debut with their new (at the time) vocalist Brian Fair. I’ll never forget the first time I met Brian, or buying this album. It was at the 2002 New England Metal and Hardcore Festival, and I had met a contact at PR company for the first time around the bar area. She introduced me to her colleague, and noticed the stack of CD’s I had just purchased and asked to take a look. As she flipped through, she noticed the Japanese import “Fear Will Drag You Down” from Shadows Fall and she looked at me and said “oh wow, that is Brian’s band!” Of course, as you probably guessed, her colleague just so happened to be Brian Fair, the singer of the band whose album I had just purchased… and I had no idea. This band is very important to me, because they were one of the main bands responsible for my transition from the more main stream nu-metal stuff to the true metal and hardcore I would grow into from there. I have probably seen these guys live at least 20 times in about seven different states, all up and down the east coast. I honestly have no idea the exact number to be honest, and it never gets old. Simply one of the best in the game today.

4. The Showdown “A Monument Encased In Ash” – I really wish there was an actual video for this song, because I haven’t found anything on Youtube that remotely does it justice. There are so many songs by The Showdown that I could have chosen, but I went with the one that sold me on the band forever. This bad boy has one of the most amazing intros for a song I have ever heard, and is pretty much the epitome of what I love about music: passion, energy and the heavy. One of the most epic pictures I have ever taken, in my opinion, is this one right here of The Showdown guitarist Josh Childers.

3. All That Remains “This Calling” – This is a band that I have legitimately watched blow up right before my eyes. I remember meeting their vocalist Phil Labonte for the first time. The band had opened for Man O War at the Palladium in Worcester, MA. My good friend Mike and I actually ended up interviewing him after the show, and we literally sat in the middle of the sidewalk on the streets of Worcester and talked for over an hour, so long that we had to do part over because we had no idea the tape stopped recording. The band wasn’t even signed at the time, and a few months later they latched on with Prosthetic Records and the rest was history. Phil used to be the vocalist of Shadows Fall and was actually almost the vocalist of Killswitch Engage (and has filled in for them in the absence of Howard). “This Calling” blew me away on the first listen, and I think it is the song that really changed the game for the band, as they now find themselves as one of the biggest draws in the heavy metal game, and I couldn’t be prouder. Great dudes. Great band. Great song. I couldn’t be happier for them. This has been a really important band to me for a long time.

2. Beloved “Death To Traitors” – This band came and went way too soon. I would do anything for this band to get back together. So much amazingness. This song could easily be #1 for me, and one of the key spots in the chorus has actually been the main ringtone on my phone for at least four or five years. This is a special band that should never be forgotten. I’ve chosen the live version from their fairwell show DVD to show the true power of this song. The breakdown around the 3:56 mark still brings me chills every time I hear it. This is the type of song I just lose myself in.

1. Sevendust “Denial” – You have no idea how hard it is for me to not include a plethora of other Sevendust songs on this list, because to me they are the most amazing band of all time. This song is my jam. I can legitimately remember where I was the first time I heard it. I was on the Mass Pike, aka I-90, heading into Boston for a Red Sox game. It was the summer of 1999, and I was already a fan of the band from their debut, self titled album, and had heard they were actually just down the road from me recording their a new album. I was still under the influence of WAAF at the time, and right as I was about to roll through the Newton-Weston toll when I heard John Osterland say those magic words: “and now we have a world premier of the new single from Sevendust.” I can legitimately say I heard this song the first time it was ever played on the radio. I can’t believe that 11 years later, no one has been able to top it…

Apologies to: God Forbid “Anti-Hero” – Misery Signals “The Year The Summer Ended In June” – Maylene And The Sons Of Disaster “Tough As John Jacobs” – Underoath “When The Sun Sleeps” – Haste The Day “American Love” – Creed “Higher” – Most Precious Blood “Less Than Zero”