Instrumental Songs

Instrumental Albums: Dave Lombardo- Rites Of Percussion

Drums and Dave Lombardo are like kindred spirits that are just meant to be. It’s one of those things in the world that makes absolute and total sense. I’ll never forget the first time I heard Dave play on a Slayer album when I was kid as well as the first time I ever got to see Dave play which was surprisingly at a Fantomas show before I saw him in Slayer. Dave’s been a busy guy for years from his time playing in Grip Inc, Fantomas, Suicidal Tendencies, Testament, and more recently Dead Cross, Mr. Bungle and The Misfits. Now though, Dave really gets to expand upon all the years of great rhythms with his solo album, Rites Of Percussion. Interestingly, it was Mike Patton in the late 90’s that originally suggested Dave do a solo drum album.

Rites Of Percussion is not your average solo or instrumental album. Instead what you get is an album that is a real start to finish journey. The shifts, twists, turns and intense rhythms found throughout this record are heavy while atmospheric and experimental. The way these songs are crafted are extremely compelling and will have you listening that much closer to pick up on all the nuances and extra bits. Being a diverse drummer, Dave has mixed all sorts of styles of jazz, funk, tribal, rock, world music and different techniques into Rites Of Percussion. One of the things that I love most about this album is the experimentation. Adding different textures and sounds to the righteous rhythms gives these “songs” a hypnotic edge that you might find on a John Carpenter score.

Dave Lombardo is one of the most innovative drummers of the last few decades. He has solidified his place amongst the great rock and metal drummers ever. And all the other bands and projects he’s been a part of have helped to guide him to this place. Rites Of Percussion is one of those albums that is not only creative it’s full to the brim with different cryptic energies that make for some vivid imagery within. Do yourself a favor and take this album for a ride and let it lead you to wherever it takes you.

Overall Rating: 9/10

Dave Lombardo- Rites Of Percussion:

Instrumental Songs: Nine Inch Nails- A Warm Place

When put in the context of certain albums, an instrumental song can shift the mood, vibe and all the in between. For years, I’ve always loved (shocker I know) the Nine Inch Nails song “A Warm Place.” I’ll never forget hearing it for the first time when I was younger and how the shift of The Downward Spiral turned when this song came on right after “Big Man With A Gun” and before “Eraser.” The way this song captivated me then and still to this day is pretty interesting. On one side you have this really delicate piece of music that has a calming sense to it. Then on the flip side of it, knowing that it’s part of something more and how it leads into “Eraser” makes it one of those songs to bridge a certain section of an album together. A song like “A Warm Place” is more reflective and introspective and in the context of The Downward Spiral, it gives you a moment in time to soak in all of what has happened, knowing what is inevitable in the end. Getting to hear this song live over the years too has given me all sorts of different vibes from it. The 1, 2 punch though of “A Warm Place” into “Eraser” on the album is truly one of those that to this day gives me chills. If you ever need a little break from everything, I recommend taking 3 and a half minutes out of your day and putting this song on and letting it just take you away.

Nine Inch Nails- A Warm Place:

Nine Inch Nails- A Warm Place, Eraser, Dead Souls (Live 2018):

Instrumental Songs: Cave In- Ataraxia
Ataraxia | Cave In

For the past couple weeks I’ve been on a Cave In kick. Actually it started back when Two Minutes To Late Night released the videos of their Splitsville series when Every Time I Die covered Cave In’s “Youth Overrided.” From that point, I’ve been delving back into the Cave In catalog. During this time I’ve spent a lot of time with the album Perfect Pitch Black. I remember when this album came out and how strikingly different it was from Antenna, and thankfully so. I do like Antenna a lot but, you can tell that there is something lacking about it in terms of energy and passion on certain songs. Perfect Pitch Black is a wonderful encompassing of everything Cave In had done to that point. It has the the grit and heaviness of Until Your Heart Stops, the spacey and proggy vibe of Jupiter, and the craftsmanship of Antenna. So many stand out songs are on PPD like “Trepanning,” “Off To Ruin,” “The World Is In The Way,” and “Screaming In Your Sleep.” One of the songs that has always stood out to me is the awesome instrumental track “Ataraxia.” This song is perfectly placed on the album and it gives the record a moment to reflect as you get swept away by the sea of rhythm and riffs. This is another great example of just how diverse and deep Cave In are.


Cave In- Ataraxia:

Cave In- Perfect Pitch Black:

Instrumental Songs: Nine Inch Nails- The Mark Has Been Made
Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile - Amazon.com Music

It is no secret that Nine Inch Nails is my favorite band. I’ve spent many many days, nights and years, delving deep into the catalog. When you take a real close listen to a lot of the songs and the order they were placed in on the albums, you really get to feel the vibe. For example, The Fragile (my all time favorite NIN album and favorite album EVER), on disc 2 (better known as the right disc), there is an instrumental song called “The Mark Has Been Made” that is a wonderful almost segue into the next song “Please.” This instrumental is a beast live too. Take a moment and let this one sink into your head!


Nine Inch Nails- The Mark Has Been Made:


Nine Inch Nails- The Mark Has Been Made (LIVE):