Black Friday has been one of the biggest shopping days of the year for decades. Every year, people pack into stores in hopes of getting the best deals on gifts, appliances, and just about anything else on the shelves. With the rise of online shopping, it has become less of an all-out brawl to get the hottest items. However, post-Thanksgiving shopping can still be stressful. Some earbuds and the right metal can make your Black Friday shopping trip a little more bearable.
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Even people who don’t listen to metal regularly will crank up some aggressive tunes in high-stress situations or when they need a little extra motivation. For instance, some of the best gym or workout mixes will contain at least a few hard-hitting heavy metal tracks. Today, we’re going to transpose that onto Black Friday shopping.
“The Serpentine Offering” by Dimmu Borgir
“The Serpentine Offering” from Norwegian symphonic black metal juggernauts Dimmu Borgir’s 2003 album In Sorte Diaboli is the perfect way to start your Black Friday shopping spree. The first 45 seconds of the song sounds like it would be right at home in a Lord of the Rings movie. It’s epic, and would perfectly soundtrack a lone hero preparing to wade into battle with a dragon, a band of orcs, or over-caffeinated shoppers competing for the best deals.
That epic feeling comes back several times throughout the song, giving the listener room to take a breath between hammering riffs and snarling vocals. This is the kind of song that will get you pumped as you walk through the doors of your retail battleground of choice.
“Walk” by Pantera
Black Friday presents great deals alongside packed aisles, long checkout lines, and incredibly motivated shoppers. “Walk” from Pantera’s 1992 classic Vulgar Display of Power is exactly what you need to get through the throngs to get the perfect gift or that new coffee maker you’ve been eyeing.
That filthy main riff and the pounding drums are enough to put a pep in anyone’s step. Then, Phil Anselmo’s aggressive vocal delivery that sounds like he has a chip on his shoulder that is visible from space tops things off. Then, there’s the iconic line in the chorus—Respect. Walk—makes this the perfect metal tune for your Black Friday outing.
“The Pursuit of Vikings” by Amon Amarth
In popular culture, Vikings are hailed as some of the fiercest warriors in human history. This track from Swedish melodic death metal titans Amon Amarth’s 2004 album Fate of Norns is about a band of Vikings preparing their ships to sail to battle and bring home riches. That’s kind of what Black Friday shoppers are doing today, in a way.
Everything about “Pursuit of Vikings” makes it the perfect song to help you wade through the hordes of other shoppers to capture your riches and haul them to the checkout line. While it might be hard to remember with John Hegg growling out Odin! Guide our ships / Our axes, spears, and swords. / Guide us through storms that whip / And in brutal war in your earbuds but pillaging is frowned upon.
“Vigil” by Lamb of God
Honestly, just about any song from Lamb of God’s discography could go on this list. However, “Vigil” from their 2003 sophomore release As the Palaces Burn just feels right here. It starts with a relaxing clean guitar playing softly. Then, at about the 45-second mark, Randy Blythe comes in with “Our father thy will be done” in one of the filthiest vocal deliveries in the band’s catalog, signaling the rest of the band to drop in and shift the track into high gear. Then, a little past the halfway mark of the song, the band really lays in with a breakneck riff leading to pure organized musical chaos.
If this song doesn’t help make your Black Friday outing more bearable, Cyber Monday is only a few days away.
Important note: We’re not condoning violence here. Please don’t turn the electronics section of your local big box store into a mosh pit or Viking battleground.
Featured Image by Xavi Torrent/Redferns
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