Opeth
Windowpane
Straight out of the album Damnation, this is a sheer masterpiece from Opeth. Wiped clean of all traces of death metal, it presents crisp vocals, with clean guitaring. The song progresses in a rather dark manner and Mikael Åkerfeldt does an amazing job getting the emotion through with his vocals, without his usual screams and drones. The clever use of the electric guitar is showcased as solos stud the song.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Snow (Hey Oh)
This song is built on a simple-rapid guitar riff accompanied by quirky bass lines. And when the chorus kicks in with the ‘Hey Oh', the song's progression quickens. Lyrics deal with having a fresh start like a white canvas of snow.
Led Zeppelin
Kashmir
Written by the pioneers of 1970s rock, Kashmir presents a revelation of the band's experimental approach to their music. The whole band and a large portion of their fan base call it Led Zep's greatest achievement. The origin of the song, interestingly, is not exactly inspired from Kashmir but by vocalist Jimmy Page's trip through the Sahara. A full eight-minute song, the song amazes with its guitar riffs, sitar and strings.
Green Day
Time Of Your Life
It's something unpredictable/but in the end it's right/I hope you had the time of your life. Green Day has stayed for long, but this by far is one of their best ever. A deviation from their punk-rock mantra sure paid off in the form of this mellow, meaningful single. Nothing but raw acoustics and strings back up Billie Joe's nasal vocals. And that's what makes the song amazing.
Fall Out Boy
Thnks Fr Th Mmrs
Yes, it's the unmistakable sound of Fall Out Boy, with the full package of catchy choruses, pop-punk guitars riffs and lyrics to go along with them. The song really has that dramatic build-up with the strings at the beginning, and thankfully so, the blaring guitars don't disappoint you in the chorus either. Fall Out Boy has a history of long song names such as I'm Like a Lawyer with the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off. In response to the record company's plea to shorten their song names they jokingly shortened it to Thnks Fr Th Mmrs!
Those that almost made it:
Blink 182: I Miss You
3 Doors Down: Here Without You
John Mayer: Heartbreak Warfare
The Fray: How To Save A Life
Jason Mraz: I'm Yours
Coldplay: 42
All-American Rejects: Another Heart Calls
Angels & Airwaves: Hallucinations
(Sudharshan Suresh is a X grade student of Sri Sankara Senior Secondary School, Chennai)
