Saturday Shuffle: Amon Amarth, Aerosmith, Firewind, Three Thirteen, Metallica

Today, I re-introduce the Saturday Shuffle. For those who don’t remember it, it was one of the more popular features on the site for the last couple of years. I take the first five songs that come up on my shuffle and offer a few brief thoughts on them. I won’t pull punches. If a really bad song or something embarrassing comes up, I’ll own up to it. (See the second song below).


Amon Amarth, “Legend of a Banished Man (Live).” From the album The Avenger (2009 re-issue). One of the more plodding numbers from Amon Amarth’s early work gets the live treatment on this re-issue of the band’s second album. It’s perhaps one of the slower numbers, but no less epic.


Aerosmith (with Carrie Underwood), “Can’t Stop Lovin’ You.” From the album Music from Another Dimension (2012). Man was this record a piece of shit. So much anticipation with the return of Jack Douglas and rumors of a rejuvenated Aerosmith, and there were flashes of that, but most of it was the same old crap. This song, unfortunately, fits in that latter category.


Firewind, “Life Foreclosed.” From the album The Premonition (2008). Firewind remains my favorite of guitarist Gus G’s projects. This is a tasty, dark mid-paced number loaded with some great melodies and hooks. Good stuff.


Three Thirteen, “Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers.” From the album Devil Music (2011). This isn’t a cover that’s likely to make my Something Borrowed feature. It’s an OK hard rock version of the song, but loses the soulful interplay of Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill and most of the grit from the original.


Metallica, “Master of Puppets (Live).” From the album Live in New Orleans 11/14/2004 (2004). Of all of Metallica’s ups and downs over the years, I think one of the best concepts that they’ve hit on is providing fans sound board recordings of their live shows for download. What I wouldn’t give to have a live recording of every show that I’ve ever attended, warts and all. These recordings may not be the best live performances, but they’re a great way to relive a show years later.