Heavy Metal Sunday is Kosher for Passover!

Happy Passover, Easter, and Opening Day Eve!

There's only one song I could pick for today, and that's Metallica's epic Creeping Death.  Inspired by the second half of the film The Ten Commandments, which is based upon the Bible tale of the plagues which were bestowed upon the Egyptians. While watching a scene in which one of the plagues kills every Egyptian first-born child, Cliff Burton remarked "Whoa – it's like creeping death." The band liked the sound of "creeping death" and decided to write a song about the plagues, with the phrase as its title.

The song is told from the point of view of the Angel of Death as summoned by Moses. Throughout the song, some of the ten plagues are mentioned, all from the story of the "Hagadah", The Passover exodus. Moses repeatedly demanded from Pharaoh to set the Hebrew slaves free from Egypt, famously known as "Let my people go" and insisted he was sent by God, to the promised land of Cannan (For the last 400 years the Hebrew people lived in the Goshen region of Egypt "Land of Goshen" and were made slaves of the Pharaohs), which wouldn't be affected by the plague (Exodus 8:22-23). To prove his point and persuade Pharaoh as Pharaoh refused to do, Moses, guided by God, laid ten strikes on the Egyptians. The ten strikes (lyrics in bold:

• To kill the first born Pharaoh's son: The tenth and most severe strike — The God of Israel killed every firstborn Egyptian that was a boy (In reference to the Pharaoh's order to throw every Hebrew firstborn into the Nile). One such child was the Pharaoh's firstborn
• I will be with thee, bush of fire: Refers to God speaking to Moses through a burning bush.
• Blood, Running red and strong, down the Nile: The first of the ten plagues, water of the Nile turned to blood.
• Plague: This line refers to any of the ten plagues
• Darkness three days long: The ninth of the ten, the sun was blocked for three days
• Hail to fire: The seventh of the ten, burning hail fell from the sky
• Blood, lamb's blood painted door; I shall pass: Passover; the night God slew the firstborns of Egyptian families. The Hebrews were warned earlier by Moses to paint the doorpost with lamb blood so God would pass over their houses and not kill their sons.

There are a great deal of group-assisted vocals in "Creeping Death"; the song often requires more than one vocalist performing at a time. The song is also often played at a much more higher tempo than the studio version. On live recordings before his death, Burton can be heard "roaring" the backing vocals during the third chorus, as well as during the bridge. When Jason Newsted joined Metallica, he often sang the third chorus alone in live performances. When Newsted left the band and Robert Trujillo replaced him, the third chorus was usually sung by the crowd.

During the song's breakdown, audience members are encouraged to chant "Die!" to the rhythm of the song, and the band normally drops out until only the bass guitar and drums remain, this continues for a few bars, then James Hetfield sings the lyrics.

So from the amazing 2009 Mexico City run, Metallica performing Creeping Death. So sit there in your Easter best and shock the relatives by chanting DIE over and over.