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FALL 2026
Give Me Grunge or Give me Death: Why I will defend Metallica’s ‘Load’ to my dying breath.
commemorating the controversial album’s 30th anniversary.
By O. Jacobs
August 4th, 2026
FALL 2025
‘SHINE’ - Collective Soul: And The Ballad of a Gen z doomer
SONG of the day | THE FRIDAY FREAK!
By O. Jacobs
November 7th, 2025
Give Me Grunge or Give me Death: Why I will defend Metallica’s ‘Load’ to my dying breath.
If The Black Album - Metallica (1991) acts as the peak of Metallica’s trip of confidence and ultimate mainstream power, then their 1996 effort ‘Load’ is the foreshadowing of a career nightmare looming overhead, as the high begins to wear off and the band begins to descend on their own comedown.
Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist James Hetfield is forced to look his own demons directly in the eye for the first time in lyrical form [at least in the way we see on ‘Load’, vulnerable, afraid, warts-and-all] and the album’s grunge-like undertone helped convey these messages in the mid-nineties - when the likes of Nirvana, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, Alice in Chains, and Pearl Jam ruled the radio.
“Limo wreck” - soundgarden - song of the day
No song in this collection batters you, scares you, melts you down to your core like “Limo Wreck” does at track nine. It’s Sabbathy, it’s glimmering and full of fiery rage, it’s the boiling over point for Cornell’s vocals - as the band climbs toward a higher peak of intensity and stakes, making you feel a sense of uneasiness and impending doom unlike any other. This is the great middle point in Soundgarden’s catalog for me. It feels like looking God in the face and being terrified by a force so immaculately powerful - its mere existence rewires your brain.
“SHINE” - Collective Soul: And The Ballad of a Gen z doomer
“Shine” isn’t just the foundation in which Collective Soul built its entire existence ontop of, its an underdog of ‘90’s grunge in that it commands you to shake off the weight of the times, and choose happiness. It’s Rocky Balboa taking shots from Ivan Drago, unphased to if it may be his last day alive.
“Celebration” - The dirty nil - Song of the day
It’s a raging bull, it’s a goddamn hurricane, it’s Godzilla towering over a city skyline..! “Celebration” is a perfect tune, and one of the heaviest to do it in only 3mins.
“A Little piece of heaven” - avenged sevenfold - song of the day
Written by drummer Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan, it is the ninth song from Avenged Sevenfold’s self-titled fourth album, and garnered vast popularity among fans even without being released as a single.
“D’You Know what I mean?” - Oasis - Song of the day
Written by Noel Gallagher, released on July 7th 1997 as the first single from their third album “Be Here Now” and reached number one on the UK Singles Chart.
My Top 5 Pick-Me-Up Albums of all time
“Overcompensate” - twenty one pilots - quick thoughts
‘Overcompensate’ carries a great vibe that feels like it sets itself apart from previous releases, while also personifying a bit of ‘Scaled & Icy’ energy.