God bless music. I'd rather have no hands than not be able to listen to my music. It has become such an integral part of who I am. Notice I said 'my music.' Save the hands, throw Britney Spears out a window. And it should make sense that the only music that matters to me is the music I care to listen to. Nevertheless, I feel like I take my music, and music in general, a lot more seriously than others do, although I try not to be an ass when I converse on the subject. So before I dive into some philosophical, holier-than-thou rant, let me provide for you a list of what I consider my "principle" bands:

Chances are you either know none of these bands or all of them. If you don't know the common thread here, let me inform you: thrash. Some people brand these bands "metal" and I'd love to slug them for doing so. The word "metal" brings to mind things like Metallica, long hair, deep-voiced frontmen, pyro and large venues, and gothic themes. In general, the groups I listen to aren't really representative of any of those things. Metal denotes an image, and the groups listed above don't seem to subscribe to any one image in particular, or at all. They seem to be more focused on their music - writing it, playing it, performing it, loving it. And it shows, if only to me. There is nothing more intense than watching a performer pour their heart out and use every ounce of strength and energy to emote their message. Lajon from Sevendust does it like a pro, as does Elias from Nonpoint. That, in conjunction with the forcefullness of their music, has the potential to create such an exchange of energy between the crowd and the band, one feeding off the other, everyone on one powerful wavelength. I imagine Blink 182 can illicit something similar, but I guarantee it's nowhere near as potent or moving. Besides, Blink just wants to get the show over with so they can go count their money in their tour bus. There's something about thrash music and what it brings it to the table that makes it such a fulfilling experience.

That makes the fact that these bands can't get proper promotion from the major record labels or the Executive Empire (MTV) extremely disheartening. I love these bands. They help me through bad spots in my life and help emphasize the highs. Without a leg up and some backing, however, many of these bands either fail to conform and are forced to dismantle or are assimilated into the spiral of trash that has become the music industry. The problem: music executives hate thrash. Geffen seems to be able to tolerate it in small doses, but the industry has an otherwise dismal attitude. The solution: step up to the plate. There needs to be someone, somewhere, whether it be within one of the top five or six labels or just a thrash fan with deep pockets and a vision for the industry, who can step forward and get the ball rolling. The only way to bring thrash music to any kind of positive standing in society is to make it ridiculously available and push it to no end. Don't get me wrong, my thoughts here aren't greedy; I don't want an industry revolution. I simply feel so strongly about thrash that I'd love for everyone to experience the power and intensity it can deliver.

If your heart so desires, you can read a rant I authored concerning the demise of music in society here.

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