Not Feeling Particularly Patriotic This July 4th? Rage Along to These Tracks Instead

I don’t know if you’ve been paying attention to the news lately, but I think it’s safe to say that everything’s pretty fucked. We’ve got jackbooted thugs in masks rounding people up off the streets, our leaders are once again hurtling us toward another endless war in the Middle East, the economy’s in shambles, and all of the existing maladies this country’s faced for decades remain a festering sore on what was once supposed to be a “shining beacon on a hill.”

Even though some smooth-brained morons in recent years have called to get politics out of metal, the real ones out there know that’s impossible. Metal at its core is rooted in anti-establishment sentiment and is often extremely critical of authority. So at a time when the hyper rich continue to steal our wages, rape the land, and reap the benefits of a system that disproportionately taxes the working class, what better music to listen to than loud, pissed off metal?

The following are some simple suggestions of tracks you can listen to while you and your loved ones celebrate 249 years of American hegemony. So if you’re not exactly in the “rah, rah, go America” mood, you can crank these tunes and remind yourself that the country we idolize is worth fighting for.

Sacred Reich – “The American Way”

What better way to kick things off than with a thrash metal track calling out all of society’s problems in one fell swoop? Released as the title track of Sacred Reich’s 1990 album, “The American Way” pulses with a seething rage at how late stage capitalism has forced Americans to live a life of reduced opportunity following decades of post-war prosperity. The “American Dream” is dead and there’s nothing we can do to fix it.

Lamb Of God – “Now You’ve Got Something to Die For”

Ever since the attacks on September 11, 2001 and the subsequent invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, there’s been an entire generation of Americans that have no idea what it’s like to live during peace time. The U.S. has spent untold wealth and countless lives in its “War on Terror” and Lamb Of God’s legendary 2004 release Ashes Of The Wake is very much a product of that roll out to war. Now, 14 years after the initial mission of hunting down Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was completed, yet we still have troops deployed in the region and recent tensions with Iran look like we’re steps away from repeating history. Sadly, it feels like “Now You’ve Got Something to Die For” will remain far too relevant for its own good…

System Of A Down – “B.Y.O.B.”

Sticking with the early 2000s and the fury over American interventionism, we’ve got an admittedly obvious selection in System Of A Down’s 2005 hit “B.Y.O.B.” With a title comprised of an acronym that means “Bring Your Own Bombs,” this was a gutsy number that dared to call America a “fascist nation”. Remember, this was at the height of the Iraq War and it wasn’t exactly popular to criticize anything our government did to supposedly root out terrorism. After all, Saddam totally had weapons of mass destruction. Hmmmm… where have we heard that line recently?

Havok – “Give Me Liberty… or Give Me Death”

Referencing the famous Patrick Henry speech delivered in 1775 during the lead up to the American revolution, this ripper of a thrash metal track directly calls out the gross overreach of the “rotting branches of government.” It’s a pissed off track that laments the death of our rights as American citizens and the people in power holding us all down.

Judas Priest – “The Hellion/Electric Eye”

Thanks to the advent of technology, we all live in an increasingly powerful surveillance state. The “freedom of privacy” is pretty much dead at this point, as information brokers collect your data and sell it to the highest bidder — which is often the U.S. government. Now with the threat of Palantir using A.I. to compile Americans’ data under the guise of “national security and defense,” we’re all just one anti-government tweet or heavy metal listicle away from eventually getting shipped off to “Alligator Alcatraz.”

Metallica – “…And Justice For All”

In an album dripping with criticism for the American power structure, it’s the title track of the band’s powerful 1988 album that nails it on the head. Dealing with the corruption found in the U.S. justice system and the unbelievable power money holds within it, this track is nine minutes of vitriol for the “power wolves” that continue to bastardize our institutions to fit their own gains to this day.

Anthrax – “Indians”

It’s easy for us as Americans in 2025 to think shit’s incredibly bad, but for the native population it’s been bad since European colonizers landed on North American shores. Anthrax’s track “Indians” was released on their 1987 album Among The Living and it recounts the plight of the Native American. Nowadays, the once proud people that originally lived in North America have seen their numbers reduced and forced into reservations with very little in the way of opportunities. Sadly, many Native American communities are battling substance abuse and other societal issues like unemployment and racism. Which is why it’s particularly galling to see Trump’s ICE agents deporting anyone they deem “illegal” when we’re all living on stolen land.

Black Sabbath – “War Pigs”

Ah, the grand-daddy of ’em all. Though not necessarily strictly about the American war machine, it certainly calls out the global military industrial complex and its constant need for conflict. Released back in 1970 on the band’s album Paranoid, “War Pigs” is constantly seen as the quintessential anti-war metal song. Much like System of a Down’s “B.Y.O.B.” would ask 35 years later, “War Pigs” openly wonders why politicians aren’t sent to fight and die for the wars they start, rather than the poor.Ozzy and the gents openly wonder why young men and women should go off to war when it should be the politicians that should go and settle the youths should go off to a foreign land to fight when they didn’t start the fight in the first place.

Warbringer – “A Better World”

Given how things have gone in recent years, it’s hard to envision a better world. Everyone is so divided among party lines that the idea of people coming together to work toward a common goal seems impossible. That general feeling that nothing’s going to get better is exactly what drives this track form Warbirnger’s 2025 album Wrath And Ruin. As American institutions continue to erode, the chances for the American people to stand up and create a better world diminish, leaving us with nothing but that “empty, sinking feeling dep in our soul.”

Power Trip – “If Not Us Then Who”

It can’t all be doom and gloom, man. The American experiment is so beautiful when done right, but you’ve got to fight to preserve it. The late Riley Gale knew that, so he penned the lyrics to “If Not Us Then Who,” which is direct reference to the late Congressman John Lewis, who said the very same line while speaking about having to take up actions against racial injustices during the civil rights movement. Which reminds us that regardless of the struggle we face, we as Americans are capable of anything. After all, there are 340 million of us and only several thousands of oligarchs holding us down. We’ve got power in numbers.