Top 10 song outros of metal/rock genre

After dedicatedly listening to different genres of metal/rock for over 6 years, I thought I should start writing posts about a universal language. Music. And, promise to keep it regular. My intent is not to turn this into a music blog, but to share my musical interests and write about to minor quirks and subtleties in each song which makes what it is.

By definition, "outro" is the conclusion of a piece of musical composition. Below, I list 10 of my favorite song outros which have left an impression on me!

Closure (Damnation) - Opeth

There is no argument on this one. One of the reasons why I wanted to even write about this topic, is this song. It is by far, my most favorite musical composition of Opeth. Mikael Akerfeldt is a master composer. His musical proficiency is respected not only in the progressive metal world, but also by many other famous musicians. Coming to the outro in particular, I can describe it as "hauntingly beautiful". I'm using this term because, I know that once you listen to it, you'll never stop..

Notable tracks from the same album: Windowpane, In My Time of Need, Hope Leaves

Folklore (Heritage) - Opeth

There you go. Another one of Opeth's classics from their latest album. It came out in the fall last year and it's already highly favored by critics and fans. Although, this song starts slow, the music takes a whole new turn by the time it reaches it's end. Just listen and you'll agree that it's just plain, "orgasmic"!

Notable tracks from the same album: I Feel the Dark, The Devils Orchard, Nepenthe, Pyre

Astronomy (Garage Inc.) - Metallica

Damn...Metallica is brilliant when it comes to covering songs. This "Blue Oyster Cult" cover is my favorite. I've heard the original and I don't care what others say. It's BETTER than the original. These guys transformed this song into a piece of heaven. Hetfield repeats this phrase "Astronomy.. a star" throughout the outro, over Hammet's awesome guitar solo. The song fades out...

Notable tracks from the same album: Turn the Page, Tuesday's Gone, Am I Evil?, Whiskey in the Jar

High Hopes (The Division Bell) - Pink Floyd

Yep. It's about goddamn time. The masters of progressive music. Pure, unadulterated musical masterpieces have been churned out by these guys. This is one of them. The song is so beautiful that it makes me want to cry! I'm warning you all. Do not listen to this song if you are in a sad mood. You WILL cry. I don't know if it's because of the song's build up, or the high pitched guitar solo, or the lyrics, but you want this outro to last forever..

Notable tracks from the same album: Coming Back to Life, Marooned, Cluster One

Beyond the Realms of Death (Stained Class) - Judas Priest

Metal is my religion, Judas is my priest. I worship these guys. In the world of classic heavy metal, there's no one better. This song is a mixture of simple acoustic and distortion riffs, perfectly tailored with two mind-blowing guitar solos! The last one in particular, holy shit! I bow to these musicians..The only time the song title is mentioned (sang) is in the end.

Notable tracks from the same album: Exciter, Savage, Better By You, Better Than Me

Freebird (Lynyrd Skynyrd) - Lynyrd Skynyrd

Ah..finally. A more popular song. Almost every rock fan has heard this song and instantly loved it. Not me. It took me some time to like it. It took me exactly 4 minutes and 53 seconds.. Haha..That's when the fucking solo begins. Oh man! I was blown away by the guitar skills Gary Rossington possesses. The solo is how the song ends. and it's for 5 minutes!! It's one of the most intricate musical compositions in my view. I wonder, if one day I end up learning it, my fingers would melt if I played the entire thing in one stretch.

Notable tracks from the same album: Tuesday's gone, Gimme Three Steps, Simple Man 

Floods (The Great Southern Trendkill) - Pantera

Where do I begin for this one..This song is a class apart. It's a very unique composition of Pantera. That's because it has acoustic bridges, drag solos, doom riffs. You want it. You got it. The outro stands out because the song mutates into whole new psychedelic experience. It's just a simple guitar bridge over the sound of raindrops hitting the ground. Dime, I really don't know how you do it. R.I.P

Notable tracks from the same album: 13 Steps To Nowhere, Drag the waters, Suicide Note Pt. I

The Dark Eternal Night (Systematic Chaos) - Dream Theater

Now we're talking! The pioneers of progressive metal. These guys are so good when it comes to musical composition, that they always better themselves with every new album. Freakin' geniuses! I can't explain this song in words. Really. You'll just have to listen. The outro riff is delightfully simple, but totally noteworthy.

Notable tracks  from the same album: The Ministry of Lost Souls, Forsaken, Constant Motion

Fear of the Dark (Fear of the Dark) - Iron Maiden

I had to. I just had to include a song of my favorite band in the world. This song, to this day, is the only song of this album, played in almost every live performance while fans chant in unison "Fear of the dark". The song outro is awesome because the intro verse is repeated at the end, but the lyrics are switched. "When I'm walking a dark road, I am the man who walks alone". Almost every time I listen to these lines, I feel a chill down my spine.

Notable tracks from the same album: Afraid to Shoot Strangers, Wasting Love, Judas Be My Guide

Alive (Ten) - Pearl Jam

I feel like you cannot go wrong with a song which ends with a guitar solo. Especially, when the guitarist composes the song's music. Vedder does an excellent job with the singing on this one. The extended solo starts off after the third chorus and it's just perfect! The drummer should get credit too as he supports the guitarist to the very end.

Notable tracks from the same album: Black, Jeremy

This post,in no way, means an exhaustion to this list. There are many more songs which I might have missed because I haven't even heard them. So, please keep sharing!

"Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything." - Plato

*Ends*