Lord Dying's Erik Olson on 10 albums getting him through "coronapocalypse"

With the coronavirus pandemic keeping many of us home a lot more, we’ve been asking artists to make us playlists of the music they’ve been listening to in isolation, and this one comes from Erik Olson, guitarist/vocalist of Portland sludgesters Lord Dying, who released their proggy third album Mysterium Tremendum last year and who were on tour with Black Label Society and Obituary when the mass quarantine struck and ended the tour early (it’s since been rescheduled for August).

Erik made “a list of 10 albums that have been getting [him] through the coronapocalypse,” and it includes a nice variety of stuff, like Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Free, Suffocation, Lightning Bolt, Humble Pie, King Crimson, Blut Aus Nord, Neil Young, and more. Erik also wrote a bit about each pick. Read on for his list…

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1. Bonnie “Prince” Billy – I See a Darkness

I love this album. The whole thing feels pretty appropriate for a doomsday scenario like we’re currently living in, but the real gem is the title track. It pretty much sums up how I feel about everything right now.

2. Free – Free

This is some great late ’60s/early ’70s rock. I’ve been kind of obsessed with early ’70s rock lately. Stand out tracks to me are “I’ll be Creepin’,” it’s got such a cool melody and the wah parts are pretty killer too, but my favorite is “Mourning Sad Morning.” I”m always a sucker for a sad ballad.

3. Unleashed – Shadows In the Deep

This is one of my favorite Swedish death metal albums. I love their first one too but this one is even better. I love the chugging groove on the verse riff of the title track. There’s a killer Venom cover on here too!

4. Suffocation – Pierced From Within

More classic death metal here. I dig this one. It might not be as good as Effigy of the Forgotten, but I like it more than Breeding the Spawn. It’s great to exercise to.

5. Lightning Bolt – Sonic Citadel

This is a band I used to see live a lot in the late ’90s/early ’00s. They were always super fun live. The album is great, weird heavy jams at their finest. Another great spastic/frenetic album to exercise to.

6. Humble Pie – Smokin’

Here is another great ’70s rock record. Stand out tracks [are] “Hot n’ Nasty,’ and “30 days in the Hole.” This is an all around great boogie record.

7. Canned Heat – Boogie with Canned Heat

Another great boogie band with a killer blues groove. The whole album is great but I love “Evil Woman,” and “On the Road Again.”

8. King Crimson – Red

Might be the best prog album ever. ‘Nuff said.

9. Blut Aus Nord – Hallucinogen

This is my favorite record of 2019. I think it’s a perfect album. Also great to run to!

10. Neil Young – Zuma

Neil Young might be my favorite musician. He’s basically been like a middle finger to everything his entire career and I love him for it. “Cortez the Killer,” gives me chills every time I hear it.

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And before you go, watch this full-set video of Lord Dying at Brooklyn’s Saint Vitus in 2015: