We need a little pick-me-up on Mondays, so I thought I would channel my alliterative sensibilities and offer a look into my fascination with the world of metal each Monday.

It's Metal Monday.

To remind those of you who don't know me well, I'm a piano player. Unless you're playing organ for Deep Purple, the pianist likely doesn't have much work in the field of heavy metal or even "lite" metal.

My fascination of metal stems from the musicianship required to play it. I know it's a dated style of rock-n-roll, and I know the clothes should all be burned in a pile of dung. However, make no mistake: The level of technical musicianship required in metal is absolute akin to what's required in jazz.

I listen to these guitar solos and note to myself each time how the player couldn't have played anything different than what he exactly played. There is no room to make it up on the fly unless you're an absoluter master of the scale being played.

To put it another way: Metal was a way for nerds with a musical inclination and a willingness to practice to score chicks.

Or guys if you're Rob Halford. Speaking of whom, here's a very young Halford (sans leather) singing my absolute favorite Priest song, "Rocka Rolla."