Forevermore’s ‘Metal Must’ list

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As one of Solid State‘s most reliable bands of the last several years, Forevermore is likely on the list of favorites for loads of young metal fans. With a new album, Integral (buy), on the way, we wanted to ask the band about their own favorites to hear what metal songs fuel their fire. Here are each member’s favorite two songs, which makes for an easy playlist if you’re into such things (and you should be)!

KRAMER LOWE, VOCALS
As I Lay Dying, “94 Hours”
I’m going with the nostalgia factor here. There were several things that stuck out in this track when I first heard it as a 13-year-old kid: the insane double bass, the melody at the end of the song, the aggression in the vocals. This was the first song that got me into metal, and I distinctly remember buying their album at a Myrtle Beach Christian bookstore. Granted, things didn’t pan out the way anyone would have ever expected for the band, but it was still awesome to be able play the same stage as them before all the craziness went down.

Bring Me the Horizon, “Sleepwalking”
I remember hearing this after they transitioned from being a typical and generic deathcore band. It made me question why I never really was into them before. Was it their fan base? Was I really just not into their music? Either way, this song and the entire Sempiternal album led me to a newfound respect for the band. One of the catchiest choruses I’ve heard in a long time in the metal/hardcore game and I was very intrigued with the more aggressive cleans. They fit just right with the music and the band stepped it up to a whole other level.

MICHAEL TAYLOR, GUITARIST
August Burns Red, “Backburner”
One of the most aggressive songs and mixes that I’ve ever heard. The riffs in this song literally inspired me to start playing metal. Messengers was truly a game changing album.

Periphery, “Ragnarok”
Feels for all. What more do you people want? Here we find the perfect mix between technicality and groove.

JARED STORM, GUITARIST
Between the Buried and Me, “Ants of the Sky”
BTBAM are some of the best at writing songs which take you on a journey, and this song is no exception. It’s hard to imagine how one could pack a wider range of diverse styles, genres, and moods into one cohesive piece of music that surprises and satisfies at every turn.

Animals As Leaders, “The Woven Web”
This band has taken instrumental metal to an entirely new stratosphere. The “thumping” section in the middle of the song alone is enough to show just how far ahead of the game Tosin Abasi is with regard to innovative guitar playing.

HAYDEN DARNALL, BASSIST
Periphery, “Erised”
As a bass player, this song really sticks out to me because of the syncopation between the drums and bass guitar. I tried to implement the same tasteful companionship between instruments on our new album.

The Contortionist, “Language I & II”
I love how this band pulls off a combination of clever writing and mixed rhythmic complexity.

SAMMY VAUGHN, DRUMMER
P.O.D., “Alive”
This was the first heavier song that introduced me to metal.

Underoath, “In Regards to Myself”
A legendary song by a legendary band.