by Jim
Yes… I now have to openly admit it… I am a JPop fan in addition to metal. No, I don’t speak Japanese, but it’s really not about the lyrics for me. Pop music in JP > Pop Music in the West. There’s just a lot of enthusiasm in these songs… and it also helped that they’re quite often paired with great anime shows! Just … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
I have a friend who’s huge into Amorphis… They’re good, but I wouldn’t say they’re anything fantastic. That being said, I do love this song. When to Listen: This is really a building song. Use this when creating your world, characters, or even creating plot. There’s a lot of different emotions, different levels of notation, and a good mix of both positive and negative energy. … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
Perhaps a little disclosure is in order. I am not a huge fan of these guys… mostly because YouTube continuously recommends their music and their good songs are too few and too far in between. That said, this one is pretty good. It sneaked onto my playlist and has been there ever since. When to Listen: Conflict development. When you’re trying to come up … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
Actually heard this at the gym the other day. It had a pretty good sound, so I quickly Spotify’d the tune. It’s not metal, but it’s got a good rock sound to it. I added it to my playlist when I got home. When to Listen: Caffeine music!!! This song is charged with positive energy. Use it when you hit a slump or when you … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
In my opinion, there are three fathers of modern metal. They are as follows: Black Sabbath Blue Oyster Cult Rush Each had their own distinct style and each one gave birth to a different form of metal. Black Sabbath definitely opened the door to some of the heavier stuff like Black Metal, Death Metal, Thrasher Metal, etc. However I think bands like Iron Maiden … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
Malmsteen is a man who needs no introduction in the Metal community. Regardless of whether you can actually pronounce his first name, you know his style, music, and look when you hear it. When to Listen: I use this as coffee. A ton of positive energy, a ton of ‘smile’ moments, and plenty of adrenaline-inducing guitar tabs. Use this when you start experiencing burnout but need to … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
Disclaimer… this isn’t actually on my playlist, but it’s so ridiculous, I couldn’t not share it. I have tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. When to Listen: … Brainstorming… nope. General play… God no! Conflict… No. You know what? If you want to add this to your playlist, you figure it out. I can’t write and listen to this song, it makes me laugh … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
I know it may be derogatory… but there is a plethora of… what I refer to as ‘Nightwish Knockoff bands’ out there. Some of them are passable… others are blatant in how badly they’re trying to emulate Nightwish’s style and by default, success. This band really strikes me as having that mindset… but God damn it… they’ve got too many good songs to simply … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
To be honest… I’m not always a huge fan of metalized versions of classics. I actually love Bonnie Tyler’s music. That said when its done nicely and respectful to the original material. When to Listen: General playlist. I actually like to play this back to back with the original one. Readers, Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
I really have grown to love these guys. They have no physical CDs to buy, only MP3’s, but I guess that’s okay. They seem to specialize in cover songs, but even their own original music is great! When to Listen: Heavy metal always has a bit of flavor to it that really works best in high-intensity scenes; fight scenes, scenes of high stress, etc. This … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
So I’ve had some people asking me how I’m drawing my inspiration from songs that literally have nothing to do with where I’m recommending them. (A song about a jilted lover somehow being used as a fight song, etc.) Honestly, I’m glad someone brought this to my attention because I wasn’t certain if my original meaning was clear enough. When I make recommendations on what … Read More From My Writing Playlist A Clarification…
by Jim
So this one is a very… interesting song. I stumbled across it a few months ago. It’s got both positive and negative energy. It’s clearly trying to tell a story and really takes you on a journey. When to Listen: This is a world building song. Listen to it, close your eyes, and think of scenery. What comes to mind? I’d be surprised if it wasn’t something elaborate. … Read More From My Writing Playlist
James Harringtons Creative Work 