• 3 months ago
It's easy to fall down a rabbit hole imagining what your favorite YouTubers might have done if they'd never joined the video sharing platform. Case in point: There's probably an alternate dimension where Jacksepticeye is headbangin' to death metal somewhere.
Transcript
00:00It's easier to fall down a rabbit hole imagining what your favorite YouTubers might have done
00:05if they'd never joined the video-sharing platform.
00:08Case in point, there's probably an alternate dimension where Jacksepticeye is headbanging
00:12to death metal somewhere.
00:13"...I feel like there's this creative beast inside me that's been screaming to get out."
00:20For every YouTuber who has chased their dreams of single-minded determination from the very
00:24start, there are just as many, if not more, who followed a different path before they
00:28began broadcasting to the masses.
00:31Sean Jacksepticeye McLaughlin is an example of the latter, as he originally pursued a
00:35very different passion before becoming known for his high-energy Let's Play videos and
00:40charity streams.
00:42While some of his longtime fans may be aware of his musically-minded side, newcomers to
00:46his channel may be surprised to learn that Jacksepticeye is quite an impressive drummer,
00:51but particularly when it comes to heavier music.
00:54Sure, Jacksepticeye has entertained viewers on several occasions with drum covers of popular
00:58metal songs, but these videos are not the only time he's made public use of this talent.
01:03In the early 2000s, before his rise to fame on YouTube, Sean McLaughlin was the drummer
01:08for a melodic death metal band called Raised to the Ground.
01:12According to information gleaned by some of Jacksepticeye's fans, the band's unusual name
01:16may have been chosen as a nod to Reaper, a band to which some of Raised to the Ground's
01:20members had previously belonged.
01:22In its short time together, the Irish metal band put out a single EP called Risen from
01:27the Ashes.
01:28Check out our album, Raised to the Ground, Risen from the Ashes, and then you have like
01:33the four tracks on the back.
01:35Released by now-defunct indie label Death Cab, not to be confused with Death Cab, Raised
01:40to the Ground's EP featured four songs that showed off the band's aggressive sound.
01:45The album is full of melancholy lyrics, blistering guitars, heavy riffs, and the intense drumming
01:50technique that Jacksepticeye fans have come to know and love.
01:54A review posted to Sputnik Music gave particular props to Jacksepticeye's skills.
01:59The clockling's drums drive the pace and energy of the music, going from fast-paced insanity
02:04on Spit It Out to chugging and menacing on your freedom, My Burden.
02:08There's no doubt that these guys were capable songwriters and musicians.
02:12The reviewer only had a few minor knocks against the EP to note, pointing out that frontman
02:17Conan Hefferman's clean vocals are noticeably stronger than his guttural screams and that
02:22a couple of the songs could be strengthened by at least one guitar solo.
02:26Overall, however, Jacksepticeye fans have welcomed this different side of their favorite
02:30YouTuber with open arms, even if it's not the kind of music they'd normally listen to.
02:35It's difficult to find a physical copy of the EP these days, although Jacksepticeye
02:39apparently has dozens of copies somewhere in his house.
02:42Thankfully for curious fans, all four songs have been uploaded to Spotify within the last
02:47few years.
02:48After years of listening to bootleg rips uploaded to the internet, fans finally have access
02:53to a streaming version with higher-fidelity sound.
02:56To this day, some fans can't help but wonder what could have been.
02:59The band doesn't tend to be a regular topic of conversation, but Jacksepticeye has touched
03:04on his past with Rays to the Ground on a few occasions.
03:07Most notably, the group came up when a fan posted an old promo photo of the band on social
03:12media.
03:13Jacksepticeye was clearly overtaken by nostalgia, explaining this chapter of his life for the
03:18He quipped,
03:19"...I play the f-----g s---- of those drums.
03:20Those were good times.
03:22I do not regret a single moment of any of those days."
03:26He added,
03:27"...I had a great time with all of my friends.
03:29We had some pretty decent music for our age, and our time, and our friend groups, because
03:33no one else was really playing heavy metal music, and the stuff they were playing was
03:38not nearly as good as the stuff we made."
03:40According to Jacksepticeye, he still keeps in touch with some of his old bandmates, who
03:44were his childhood best friends.
03:46Can you say Rays to the Ground Reunion Tour?