Aesop Dekker played drums on two of my Top 10 favorite albums of 2010: Agalloch's Marrow of the Spirit and Ludicra's The Tenant. Both records make different statements about black metal, but dispense with the trappings of the genre with original forward motion. When he's not behind the drum kit, Dekker turns fans on to oft-unheard metal, obscure Japanese hardcore seven-inches and, most surprisingly, jazz on his blog, Cosmic Hearse. He told me over email that his father introduced him to '50s and '60s Blue Note LPs, and that "before I ever heard Kiss, there was only Coltrane." I asked him to pick five of his favorite jazz records for Take Five. —Lars Gotrich
I play metal, but jazz reminds me to lighten up and let my instrument speak. Jazz solos communicate through a seemingly arbitrary set of notes. When I listen to the moan of Ben Webster's sax or the playful discord of Thelonious Monk's keys, I feel like I'm picking the brains of these talented men, many of whom have left the earth behind. I have many favorite players and no shortage of albums that showcase their collaboration, but here are the five I lean on most when my soul and my ears require some peace.
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