The Album That Gave Me My Music Back: Heavy Metal By Cameron Winter

For the first blog post of 2026, I chose an album that’s really near and dear to me.

Heavy Metal by Cameron Winter.

This album came to me at a time when I really needed it; only about a month ago, honestly. Between the blog, school, life, and work, my brain has been completely consumed and totally drained. Add the holidays on top of that, and I’ve just been a mess. I’m not afraid to admit when I’m having a down moment, and that’s kind of why I started this platform in the first place. I want to express myself openly and not always feel like I have to be chipper or excited. This album pulled me out of a funk and gave me inspiration. I started writing some cool ass songs and really honed in on myself as a person. There’s a lot I love about this album. I’m not going to break down every track, but I’m just going to ramble and rant about why I love it and how it’s changed me in such a short time.

I first heard Heavy Metal when my good friend Jakob L. sent it to me. He’d been trying to get me into Geese for a while, but it just wasn’t really my thing. Then one night I get a message:“If you’re not gonna fuck with Geese, at least check this out.”

That’s when Love Takes Miles entered my life.

The very first time I heard that song, I cried. There was something about it that reminded me of myself, and it made me feel like I was letting myself down with music. It was incredibly inspiring, and the sound itself was something I hadn’t heard in a long time. I wasn’t doing shit with music, and I honestly couldn’t tell you the last time I’d written a song. That all changed when I heard Heavy Metal.

The album carries hints of Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Beck, Tom Waits, and so many other great artists, but it still feels completely its own. That uniqueness is what immediately pulled me in. Cameron’s voice is raw and makes every song feel like a story being told by a friend. The lyrics aren’t always straightforward, and there are so many moments that leave you wondering what exactly he means. The album is creative, impactful, and impossible to ignore. It keeps you locked in from start to finish.

Love Takes Miles was my favorite by far at first, but the more I listened, the more I fell in love with the rest of the record. Nina + Field of Cops quickly became another huge favorite. The chaotic piano paired with Cameron’s effortless flow and vocal delivery is pure magic. The lyrics feel like a trip; insane, but still weirdly relatable. The song feels like it was written for songwriters and musicians. It’s not easily understood, but it’s thought-provoking and perfectly written.

“Nina I’m not nothing but when you lie on the piano, I am reminded I am stupid.”

“I’ll go to the great carnivals of pain and fight entire fields of cops, and keep a coconut in my hand.”

Pure magic. Just beautiful songwriting.

Here’s where the rant really starts…

I’m constantly searching for new music, and I very rarely find something that feels real to me. When I first heard this album, I didn’t know how to contain myself. I cried, yelled, sang, and immediately picked up my guitar. This album gives me intense emotions. It reminds me that I am an artist, and that my work is important regardless of who likes it or not.

Somewhere along the way, between bands breaking up and my inability to properly record a solo record, I stopped making music. I never thought I would, but I did. I gave up. The blog has been a safe haven for me now, almost like a journal. Music is my life though, and I will never settle for anything less. Heavy Metal pulled those feelings back out of me. I feel motivated again. I’m excited to be in my band room. I’m excited to write songs. This album has genuinely been life-changing for me. I know it’s been getting a lot of love and attention, but I felt like I needed to share my personal connection to it regardless.

I’ve sent this album to everyone I know. I’ve preached again and again about how important it is to music. It might not seem like it now, but if Mr. Winter keeps this pace, he could very well go down as one of the greatest. A debut album with zero skips; everything feels fucking perfect. I can’t help but imagine this is what people felt when they heard Bob Dylan for the first time. I mean that.

One last thing I want to mention: the music videos.

All live takes. In public.

Real fucking music. Real artistry. No hiding behind camera edits or pre-recorded audio. It’s powerful, and it shows just how raw this album really is. That element feels like a crucial piece of the puzzle for me, and I can’t get enough of Cameron Winter.

He’s raw, passionate, unique, a little odd, and insanely inspiring.

Heavy Metal is a beautiful album. Cameron is a beautiful artist.I really don’t know what else to say.

It’s one of the best albums I’ve ever heard. It will stand the test of time.

I'll say something about each song and leave it there.

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1. The Rolling Stones - Immediatley grabs your attention. Puts all of Camerons vocals on full display. The lyrics are artistic and interesting like always.

   Favorite lyric : " I would pound my masterpiece down flat between my hands if it meant I could only roll again"

2. Nausicaä (Love Will Be Revealed) - Funky. The harmonies paired with the deep vocals from Cameron are insane. It's so catchy and has such a good vibe to it.

   Favorite lyric: "I'm feeling alive, spinning of the wheel, I'm feeling for a pipe to go down."

3. Love Takes Miles - Insanely good song. Everything about it just rocks so hard. The shift in Camerons vocals is super cool and really shows his range. The fucking chorus dude. It's probably the best chorus ever lmao. I want to live inside of this song.

   Favorite lyric : "You left me promising your shoes, mhm my my. I need, I need your feet more than you do, mhm my my. I need somebody sent down from the sun that talks to me how you used to."

4. Drinking Age : The most gut wrenching song on the album. It just feels dark. The biiiing sound is so good. You know what I mean. It's fire. I love this song probably more than my mental health wwould like, but it's whatever. A really good song to sing in the car when you're crying type shit.

   Favorite lyric: "Today I met who I'm gonna be from now on, and he's a piece of shit."

5. Cancer Of The Skull : I am genuinely on a pirates crazy eyed quest. It actually feels that way when I listen to this song. The lyrics are so goofy and fun, and theres a mouth harp or something else frog like in the background. It's just a vibe all around. Seriously silly.

   Favorite lyric: "I'd write a hell of a letter and anyone who doesn't know any better would tell you; I'm that zero dollar man."

6. Try as I May : This song is hard to explain lol. It's good, but it has it's own vibe. It's like super minimalistic, but still feels like it has a lot of meat to it? It's very vocal driven and drones alot, but it works. You get a little spice in the middle and new things come in which is nice. The lyrics really hit for me in this song.

   Favorite lyric : "I hadn't sailed 30 feet when I drowned in expensive clothes for all the oysters to see."

7. We're Thinking the Same Thing : MMMMMMMM. This one hit for me big. The simplicity, the rawness, the guitar, the vocals, the percussion, the lyrics. Bangers, and I know bangers. Hehe

   Favorite lyric : "Baby horses on my chest are tryna push me out to sea, and you're doing the same."

8. Nina + Field of Cops : I will stand out of my seat and rise to attetion in the room alone if this song comes on. This shit feels like the Emperors March or some shit hahaha. It's super intense. We love it.

9. $0 - Another really simple but great song. Brother knows how to pull the heart strings. I don't know Nina, but I feel like I should at this point. "Fuck these people." Iconic. Really though; I love this song and I cried alot to it. A zero dollar man is such an artistic thing. I have never heard that before this album and it's kind of how I identify now.

   Favorite lyric : "I had one hand on my head between you and the water.."

10. Can't Keep Anything : This song is like Bob Dylan meets The Lumineers and The Head and The Heart lmao. It's beautiful. We love a guitar. I think it was a great way to end things off.

    Favorite lyric: "Baby where I'm going you can't keep anything. You can't keep anything except me."

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Thank you to everyone for supporting!

Happy New Year!!!!!!

See you next week - Ethan