Stuck in my Head: ARO, "Raining Gold"

Aimee Osbourne may prove herself to be the brightest of metal madman Ozzy Osbourne’s offspring in more ways than one.

First, Aimee opted out of all of the craziness that was The Osbournes reality show. While her siblings hammed up the spotlight, she quietly did her own thing. She continues that trend with her latest single, not using the Osbourne name, but rather going by ARO.

Her independent personality carries over into this first single from ARO’s upcoming EP. “Raining Gold” is light years away from the squawky, attention-hungry hot messes that her sister Kelly has unleashed on the music world. It’s subtle, smart — and, damn it, this girl can sing. At least on this first single, it seems that Aimee Osbourne knows where her vocal wheelhouse is (dusky, yet a bit sultry) and she sticks with the formula, using it very effectively.

Still Spinning: Marilyn Manson, "Mechanical Animals"

Yes, I know Manson has a new record out, and I plan to get to it eventually. But this one, for some reason, has been popping up in my shuffle a lot lately, and I’ve come to appreciate again how good it was.

I remember seeing one of those clickbait articles online at some point last year discussing rock albums with only one good song, and Mechanical Animals was on that list. The writer’s contention was that “The Dope Show” was the only good song on this record. I remember at the time thinking the guy didn’t know what he was talking about, and after revisiting this record, I’m sure of it. If anything, “Dope Show” is one of the weakest songs.

You can say a lot of things about Marilyn Manson and the direction that his career has taken. Strings of mediocre albums have made him a caricature of himself, but those first three records cannot be denied. Each of those showed a developing and evolving persona for Manson. His debut, Portrait of an American Family, was solely about shock. With Antichrist Superstar, he honed the edge on that shock with rage and vitriol — producing, arguably, the last rock ‘n’ roll record to truly scare the shit out of parents. And that’s what made the transformation on Mechanical Animals so bizarre and wonderful.

Saturday Shuffle: Doyle, Iced Earth, Flotsam and Jetsam, Dash Rip Rock, Volbeat

Interesting shuffle this week in that it hit all newer material.

Doyle, “Mark of the Beast.” From the album Abominator (2013). Doyle, former guitarist for The Misfits, has released a surprisingly strong solo album that bears little resemblance to his former band beyond the horror imagery of the tunes. The music here is far more driven by metal and thrash than the punk of The Misfits. It’s good stuff, though.

Saturday Shuffle: Tesla, Dash Rip Rock, Slayer, Mojo Nixon, Prince

Wonder if the last selection this week will throw anyone?

Tesla, “Government Personnel.” From the album Psychotic Supper (1991). Here’s a short, fun acoustic number that’s Tesla’s send up of the classic acoustic rock protest song. It’s a bit of a throw-away track to lighten the mood of the record, but try to get Jeff Keith’s drawl out of your head. “Go straight to Hell, all you government personnel…”

Saturday Shuffle: Van Halen, Chrome Division, White Zombie, Slayer, Jackson Taylor

A few all-time favorites in this bunch ...

Van Halen, “Jump.” From the album 1984 (1984). Keyboards often overpowered guitars, and fans were left scratching their heads at some of the material on this record, but I still have to admit that this song has one of the catchiest synth lines around, and that’s coming from a guy who, for the most part, hates keyboard.

Saturday Shuffle: Motorhead, Nirvana, Blind Guardian, Primus, Thorogood

It's kind of all over the rock world this week ...

Motorhead, “Ace of Spades.” From the album Ace of Spades (1980). How easy does it get? I really don’t think I need to say anything about this tune. Just push play and let Lemmy and Co. rip your face off.