Metal Monday: Bassists Are Important Too!

posted in: Reviews & Playlists • Rock

Before you say anything about the title of this post, hear me out. I know it’s weird to give that much credit to bassists, but they’re pretty important”and I’m not just talking about the Geddy Lees, Les Claypools and Cliff Burtons of the world, either. When a guitarist is off wandering around his fretboard during a solo, who do you think is holding down the fort? Yeah, okay, probably a rhythm guitarist too, but the answer I’m going with is the bassist. Many things go into being a really great bassist. Sometimes it’s an unprecedented technical proficiency with the bass (as illustrated by Stephan Fimmers on Necrophagist’s “Stabwound”), or the ability to sink a great feel into numerous different grooves (as evidenced by Geezer Butler in pretty much every Black Sabbath song ever written). Maybe you’re like Justin Chancellor or Paul D’Amour and help shape the very sound and identity of your band. Unfortunately, it’s not always so obvious when a bassist is really holding it down, but we’re here to help rectify the situation. We’ve collected eight really solid bass performances from the deepest reaches of the OurStage Metal Channel” you just have to listen along and maybe slappa da bass right along with them.