May 25th is celebrated as "Nerd Pride Day" to promote geek culture around the world.
The date was chosen because of the premiere of the first Star Wars , the famous Episode IV: A New Hope, which was released on May 25, 1977. The initiative itself originated in Spain in 2006 under the name "Dia del Orgullo Friki" (Freck Pride Day), and has since spread worldwide.
Here at Wikimetal, we decided to turn Nerd Day into a Nerd Week! So below, we've listed some heavy metal and rock bands that perfectly represent that pride in being a geek.
Put aside the desk checks for a moment to find the error in the code you're developing, close the Python manual, and check out our selection of bands that are a source of nerd pride:
AC/DC
The legendary band kicks off our list of nerd pride simply by lending several of their classics to various films from one of any nerd's favorite fictional universes: Marvel, appearing in Avengers , from 2012, and Avengers: Age of Ultron , from 2015.
In particular, AC/DC made their mark on the soundtrack of the 2010 film Iron Man 2 , contributing not just one, but fifteen tracks (!), including “Shoot To Thrill”, “Thunderstruck”, “Back In Black” and “Highway To Hell”, in the popular film starring Robert Downey Jr. It's impossible to say that the production wasn't even better with that soundtrack, right? (By Isabela “Pétala” Alcântara)
Click here to check out the compilation of AC/DC tracks on the Iron Man 2 , and check out the special video for "Shoot To Thrill" for the film below:
Ayreon
is the Sci-Fi Metal project of Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen Anthony Lucassen . Ayreon's musical style blends progressive rock with power metal and occasionally incorporates elements of folk, electronic music, and classical music. Most of Ayreon's albums can be considered true rock operas due to the complexity of the stories sung by various characters, usually represented by different vocalists.
The 2013 album The Theory of Everything is composed of 4 large tracks divided into 42 segments. Why 42? Anyone who doesn't know the answer should read "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams.
Furthermore, Ayreon's seventh album, released in 2008, is named 01011001 , which is the binary representation of the letter Y in the ASCII table.
Can it get any nerdier than this, or is it good enough as it is? (By Daniel Dystyler)
Check out the song “The Eye Of Ra (Universe)” by Ayero below:
It's hard to think of a song that defines Tony Stark , or Iron Man , more (literally) than the Black Sabbath classic of the same name .
To symbolize the song's immense importance to the Marvel character, the track plays during an iconic moment in the film: right when Stark surprises everyone and admits, in a press conference, that he is in fact Iron Man. With that, the instrumental of the Sabbath classic begins to play and fills the credits of the first film in the saga, in 2008. Exciting! (By Isabela “Pétala” Alcântara)
Check out the final scene from Iron Man , and below, the official video for the song "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath:
Blind Guardian
The iconic German power metal band reached its nerd peak with the release of their sixth studio album, Nightfall in Middle-Earth, in 1998.
The album tells the story of "The Silmarillion," the classic book by J.R.R. Tolkien narrating the first adventures in Middle-earth, long before Sam and Frodo frolicked around with a ring in their hand. (By Daniel Dystyler)
Check out the full album for Nightfall in Middle-Earth by Blind Guardian below:
Dragonforce
's well-known style comes from the absurd speed of its instrumentalists, especially in the solos and duets of guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman . Playing at this incredible speed, the band's sound approaches the binary music of third-generation video games.
This close connection to the world of video games, so familiar in geek culture, led to Dragonforce having the song "Through the Fire and Flames" included in several games, including "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock". (By Daniel Dystyler)
Check out the video below of the track being chosen in the game:
Led Zeppelin.
A scene that the vast majority of Marvel universe fans will always remember is the final battle in the films. In the 2017 film Thor: Ragnarok , the soundtrack of this moment will help ensure that viewers will never forget this scene.
To the sound of the classic “Immigrant Song,” the God of Thunder enters the battle in slow motion , while lightning strikes behind him, making the film's climax even more impactful. (By Isabela “Pétala” Alcântara)
Check out the battle scene from Thor: Ragnarok , and right below that, the official music video for the classic "Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin:
Sam Dunn 's
incredible documentary Rush : Beyond the Lighted Stage , Gene Simmons tells the story of when Rush did their first tour opening for Kiss in the early 70s. While Kiss lived the life on the road in the best "sex, drugs and rock n' roll" style, Rush had a very different approach, as the legendary Kiss bassist recounts:
“Every night after the show, girls would line up to come to our dressing room. The guys from Rush never picked up any girls. I never understood it. I thought, 'What could it be? Gay? I know they're not… Oh! They're nerds!'”
The documentary shows that the legendary Canadian trio — Geddy Lee , Alex Lifeson , and Neil Pert — spent their time in the dressing room watching TV, reading books, discussing music theory and how many times each part of a new song should be repeated—in other words, being nerds. With great pride! (By Daniel Dystyler)
Check out the track “Fly By Night” by Rush below:
Weezer
doesn't quite fit the "rock" mold. But we're here to say that YES, it does fit; the band is one of the pioneers of "geek rock," no less. Weezer's nerdy aura never disappears, whether in the lyrics, music videos, or even the appearance and personalities of its members.
A perfect example to help you understand the classification is the song "In The Garage," in which vocalist Rivers Cuomo describes the story of a lonely boy who feels safe in his garage filled with posters, board games, and comic books – far from the eyes of anyone who might judge him.
Patrick Wilson , the band's drummer, gave an interview to Billboard on the 25th anniversary of The Blue Album, stating that the song can be considered an "autobiography" and, in a way, describes the band's day-to-day life. Pat also says that Rivers admired KISS and that the vocalist had the opportunity to meet Gene Simmons , who in turn said, "Listen – Fuck your fans" – a phrase that helped the band build a career that pleased, first and foremost, themselves. (By Marcela Lorenzetti)
Check out the Weezer track, “In The Garage,” below:
