Yo what up everyone?

Let's get right to the musical goodness. No conceit or theme to this one, just good songs.

First up is a fantastic offering from my favorite band, the ever-majestic Kamelot. Kamelot is technically American metal, but their sound is decidedly European, with all the hallmarks of European symphonic metal (operatic vocals, heavy use of synths and keyboards, fantastical lyrical themes) in place. This song is from their seventh album, the second of a two-part concept album. Those two albums are adaptations of Goethe's Faust, the story of a man who bargains his soul to the devil for knowledge. In this song, "March of Mephisto," vocalist Roy Khan and guest vocalist Shagrat (of Dimmu Borgir) take turns bringing to life the menacing yet seductive power of the title character, Mephisto, as he tightens the screws of his control on Ariel, the album's protagonist. Fun fact: though I'm unable to find the documentation to back this up, I once heard a story that Shagrat recorded his parts as Mephisto for the album inside of a coffin that was inside of a moving hearse. Shagrat being claustrophobic, this torment brought out the primal fear in his screams.

Up next is a song from the British Indie-Pop band Hard-Fi, a song which has a special place in my heart because it was the song playing on my Mp3 during the drive home from Flannigans' after seeing Ohio State wallop Oregon for the national championship. Hard-Fi were one of many bands of a certain sound and ethos that sprung up around the UK and Ireland in the mid-2000s, alongside the likes of Franz Ferdinand, The Kaiser Chiefs, and The Arctic Monkeys. The album that this song comes from, Stars of CCTV is an excellent example of that sound. This song is "Hard to Beat" (just like the 2014 Ohio State Buckeyes)

There's a time in all our lives when we feel like we're slipping, we're falling, we can't get up. Luckily there's a song for that by DMX. Sidenote--I recently saw him in concert. He was amazing, but he didn't honor my meet and greet ticket (bounced at the end of the show...lol) 

This next song comes from my playlist of songs to blast at high volume while cruising through the empty neon-flooded streets of Miami Beach at 4:00 AM. This is Da Lolak by Mohamed Hamaki. Check that beat.

And you know we gotta close it strong. But how? Well...I don't know...possibly...maybe...conceivably...but...no...but...well...but...okay, you convinced me. GO BUCKS, BEAT OFF-SEASON!