On January 15th, Natalia Villafan ‘25 interviewed Isabella DiPirro ‘25 about her student playlist, a cohesive collection of metal music.
WEDNESDAY 8:50 AM JANUARY 15, 2025
NATALIA VILLAFAN: So, Isabella, looking at your playlist, I noticed that you mainly had 80s and 90s metal, and the only band that you repeated in your playlist was Metallica. I wanted to ask you, why are they significant enough to you for you to include them multiple times on this playlist?
ISABELLA DiPIRRO: I hyperfixate on them. I don’t know. They’re all over my walls. I can’t escape them.
VILLAFAN: That’s real. Since you mainly had metal on your playlist, is that an accurate depiction of your music taste, or was it a genre that you wanted to focus on for the sake of the playlist?
DiPIRRO: It varies a lot. I focused on that for the playlist because it just like it all sounds good together. I listen to a lot of things, like folk music, classical, some R&B, classic rock, soft rock… I don’t know, I listen to anything from the 60s, 70s to, like, early 90s.
VILLAFAN: What exposed you to those genres?
DiPIRRO: I don’t know, I became hyper fixated on it? My dad hates my music tastes, and he makes it known to me that he does not like it. My nanna listened to a lot of that, so I got to know it when I was little. And then my mom partially—but she does get annoyed because I listen to it too much.
VILLAFAN: Well, how did your interest in that type of genre develop over time? Was it like a very—because you say you hyper fixated on it—was it really quick?
DiPIRRO: It was gradual. In middle school, I started listening to grunge—like Green River, Nirvana, and Alice in Chains—and then freshman year I got introduced to the Beatles.
VILLAFAN: Really?
DiPIRRO: Yeah, that was… interesting. I knew they existed, of course, but I never gave them the actual time of day to listen, and I became obsessed overnight. And then I progressed to listening to more 60s soft rock and stuff like that—like The Monkeys or The Who. Then I just started developing from that, because The Who also developed early heavy metal, so I listened to that and 70s music like that—like Deep Purple or Rainbow and things like that. So it just transpired.
VILLAFAN: You mention how you listened to other genres and like folk and grunge, what made metal stand out to you for it to be the genre you wanted to focus on for this playlist?
DiPIRRO: At the time, I was just obsessed with it. It’s just what I listen to, I mostly listened to 70s heavy metal and then some early 80s thrash, and so I included that on there. And then I put some other things on there too, like Jimi Hendrix, because I also listen to him.
VILLAFAN: Yeah, I was gonna mention that. What made that song stand out to you, cause that’s like the only psychedelic rock type of thing you have going on there? What made that song make you stray from the metal?
DiPIRRO: I think it’s–well, it’s a Bob Dylan cover for one thing, which I like him a lot! But I think it’s heavier than a lot of Jimi’s music. It could have put other stuff on there too, though. I don’t know, I just thought it’s a good song and I think people generally like it.
VILLAFAN: Other than Jimi Hendrix, you had Metallica, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, the list goes on. You included lots of the ‘standards’ of the genre, people and bands who have made names for themselves. What makes them most compelling for you to add?
DiPIRRO: I just put stuff on cause I assume that the playlist would be played, and that’s why I put a lot of stuff on there mostly. I thought,
“People know who these bands are, but they don’t actually listen to them.”
I was like, “Oh, I can just put these on here.”
VILLAFAN: Yeah, people are aware of these bands but they haven’t had the time to listen to them, like you.
DiPIRRO: I could have put much more extreme stuff on there, but I don’t think anyone wants to listen to that.
VILLAFAN: I am not someone who’s really into metal, though it’s something that I’ve wanted to dive into, and these were all the songs or bands that I was somewhat familiar with! I thought, “Okay! I kind of know what this is about!” In a way, I feel like this could be like a beginner’s guide or introduction to metal. Like I said, you mainly have 80s and 90s, do you think that the genres are improving overall? Are there things that current bands can learn from past bands, what specifics do you think that people could take from these?
DiPIRRO: I mean, I think metal and rock is kind of dead. I’m just gonna say it now. I think it died years ago.
VILLAFAN: What caused its death?
DiPIRRO: People just like—okay, industry plants for one thing—like, MGK, he says he’s punk. He’s not punk or whatever! I don’t know what world he thinks he’s on!
With genres like that, I think overproduction in the music–like putting way too many like synthesizers on there or auto-tune—that just ruins it, cause that’s not what it’s meant to be!
VILLAFAN: It’s strayed too far from its core.
DiPIRRO: Exactly, yeah. It’s just kind of like…I don’t even know what’s happening right now with that.
VILLAFAN: Metallica is like one of the bands that you included twice. I feel like Metallica is the–no, they are–
DiPIRRO: The poster child of metal.
VILLAFAN: Yeah! I wanted to ask what impression they have left on you?
DiPIRRO: Well, with their general music–I’m really into metal and rock in general. In the 90s, they got into southern rock for some reason, I really don’t know why. They have encapsulated a lot of main genres within metal. For example, in the early 80s, they did thrash metal with their album Kill ‘Em All, so they were very fast and whatever. And then they start getting more into like their own version of metal later on in the 80s. When their first bassist died, there was a change in their music where they became much more heavy. In the early 90s, they started doing heavy metal, then in the mid 90s, they started doing their weird southern rock radio rock kind of thing. In the 2000s, they did nu metal, which was… interesting. They’ve done some other weird things. Like they did a collaboration with Lou Reid, it was horrible.
VILLAFAN: Yeah, I knew about that! So overall, beyond this playlist, what are three words you would use to describe your music taste?
DiPIRRO: Niche, uh… I don’t wanna say old. And I’ll say.. Um… Eclectic!
VILLAFAN: Eclectic is good! I feel like that really captures it! Yeah, yes!
DiPIRRO: Yes.
VILLAFAN: Yes. “I Alone” was the only 90s song that you had on your playlist. What made that song stand out to you, being the most recent?
DiPIRRO: I just became obsessed with it, I don’t know, I just think it’s a nice song. Like, I like the religious references in it, I think it’s very interesting in music.
VILLAFAN: Yeah! I listened to that one for the first time because of your playlist and I felt moved! Full body.
DiPIRRO: Yeah! I love the buildup and everything! It’s so cool!
VILLAFAN: It’s the only 90s song, and you mentioned how you think that these genres have died. What year, era, do you think marked that death?
DiPIRRO: When Chris Cornell died from Soundgarden. So that’s like 2013, maybe? I forgot when he died, I think it’s something like that. But there’s still some dudes from the rock era, there’s of course Paul McCartney who is still somehow living or whatever. There’s also the Motley Crew, which I don’t even know what they’re doing anymore.
VILLAFAN: What do you think about that? Do you think that there’s like a moment when these bands should just call it quits or—
DiPIRRO: Oh yeah, for sure. Like, I think Motley Crew should have ended decades ago, but for some reason they’re still kicking. I really don’t know why. Weezer should have ended after the third album—
VILLAFAN: [Gasp]
DiPIRRO: —I’m sorry it’s true. They’ve lost the plot.
VILLAFAN: Got too lost in the sauce.
DiPIRRO: Yeah, Metallica I think is doing pretty decent for themselves.
VILLAFAN: It depends on the band. Some bands just get too into the capitalist, “money grab” album mindset.
DiPIRRO: I’m trying to think who else. Pink Floyd ended it a long time ago, but their bassist Roger Waters is still doing—there’s some crazy drama, actually. You wanna hear some stuff about him?
VILLAFAN: I would!
DiPIRRO: Ok, so during the Ukraine and Russian war, he sent a letter to Putin asking them to stop because he’s ‘the representative of the world’. I don’t know who told him he was, but he thought he was, and he kept telling the stop. But the thing is, in this letter to tell him to stop, he also kept sympathizing with him.
VILLAFAN: Oh…that’s not…
DiPIRRO: I don’t know what he was doing! So, that’s interesting!
VILLAFAN: Maybe stick to the music, bud.
DiPIRRO: Not even…
VILLAFAN: [Laughs] What are the top three songs that you’ve included on the playlist?
DiPIRRO: I’d say… hm… “Old Time Rock & Roll” by Bob Seger… “Whiskey In The Jar” is a really good cover by Thin Lizzy. I’ll say “Gimme Three Steps” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, that one’s groovy.
VILLAFAN: It’s groovy! I feel like that could also be a word to describe your taste.
DiPIRRO: Yeah!
VILLAFAN: If you had to recommend one of these songs, which one would it be?
DiPIRRO: It depends very much on the person, I’d say. I think…hm… it very—again, depends on the person. I guess I’d say, probably “Smoke on the Water,” I feel like that’s like the most basic out of all of them. I feel that most people probably recognize that or whatever, and then they can get more into that music or whatever. I mean, with me too, most people I know don’t even understand the music I listen to, and they think I’m like psycho or something. I don’t know, I don’t have many friends that listen to it, so I feel kind of in this weird alien space. Yeah, like I collect my music and everything, as you know.
VILLAFAN: Yes, you are—
DiPIRRO: Very obsessed.
VILLAFAN: —Yes, you are a music collector. Oh! You also play bass, right?
DiPIRRO: Mhm!
VILLAFAN: Has this music inspired you into doing that?
DiPIRRO: Partially. I started playing a couple years ago when I got into Kiss, which is probably the weirdest band to get into music with, because they can’t even play their instruments at times. But their guitarist, Ace Frehley, he’s really good, and so I got inspired to play music from that. I wanted to play guitar first, but I realized I’m horrible at guitar.
VILLAFAN: [Laughs]
DiPIRRO: [Laughs] So I was telling my aunt about this dilemma I was in, so she decided to come by my house and randomly gave me a bass guitar. And she was teaching me it, but she taught me wrong.
VILLAFAN: She taught you how to play bass wrong?
DiPIRRO: I don’t even know… she plays music all the time.
VILLAFAN: It’s the thought that counts.
DiPIRRO: So she taught me it wrong, but I started playing it from that. She actually gave me the guitar. When I got more into Metallica, I became obsessed with their original bassist, Cliff Burton, because his playing is very weird. He plays it almost like how you play…I guess a guitar even? Which is very strange. He’s also classically trained, where he taught himself like Johann Sebastian Bach and Beethoven on his bass guitar, which is very interesting. So, I started trying to copy how he does it. There’s other influences too, like Geezer Butler from Black Sabbath. He’s very strange at playing bass too, he was never classically trained, so he just taught himself. Or even Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath, who’s a guitarist, but he’s interesting because he’s missing the tip of his middle finger! So he plays guitar very strangely.
VILLAFAN: I didn’t know that!
DiPIRRO: So that’s why Black Sabbath has a very interesting guitar sound, because he’s missing…
VILLAFAN: A finger!
DiPIRRO: A finger, yeah! It’s very interesting!
VILLAFAN: I feel when artists aren’t classically trained in their music, there is an element of rawness to it that you can’t—or that it’s harder to replicate if you have been trained. Once I started picking up on that and knowing if they are trained or not, I feel I notice the differences.
DiPIRRO: Yeah, like, for example, the Beatles weren’t trained. They taught themselves, and the thing is, for their first album—which they made in like a day—they only knew three chords! And somehow made a whole album! I don’t know how they did it.
VILLAFAN: And that’s commitment, that’s passion.
DiPIRRO: And they never learned music theory or anything. I think something like that just kind of comes naturally with some people. With me, though, I don’t want to ‘classically train’ myself per say, but I do wanna learn music theory.
VILLAFAN: Yeah! To, like, assist you. I’m the same way. We’ve talked a lot about music, obviously, we talked a lot about instrumentals, and we mentioned a little bit about lyrics. Are you a person that gravitates more towards sound or the lyrics in a song? Or does it depend?
DiPIRRO: It depends, but I do lean a lot towards both for different reasons. WIth lyrics…like, you have to at least be a decent songwriter. You could be writing something stupid and I’m probably not gonna like it then.. So I like really insightful songs or songs that are really metaphorical. Well, this is kinda boring but “Hotel California” by The Eagles is very interesting to listen to, even instrumentally it’s good obviously, but then lyrically, it’s very interesting. And you can make your own interpretation of it, which I like.
VILLAFAN: Do you like when songs are more left up to your own interpretation—
DiPIRRO: Yes!
VILLAFAN: What about if the writer guided you?
DiPIRRO: Um it depends. Like Bob Dylan, he guides with storytelling, basically. A song like “Hurricane” is obviously a story. It’s true. Or a song like “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)” by him is also a good one lyrically, where it very much is just about the lyrics and the poems he’s telling. Even something that’s interesting, for example—this is more niche—Metallica released this one song on their album …And Justice for All, and this is right after their bassist died, so on this album there’s one song they refuse to play live. It’s called “To Live is To Die” and there’s no lyrics in it except for this last part, near the end, that’s a poem their basis wrote before he died. It’s very interesting. Even if lyrically it’s not connecting too much to the song, it’s very interesting to listen to. And I think songs like that build more off of instrumental because the story follows an instrumental where the beginning part is acoustic, which is supposed to be when their bassist was alive, and then becomes really heavy and sad, which is when he died. The last part of the poem is a mix between the two of them, we’re now like going past the grief.
VILLAFAN: Wow, yeah. I feel like—I can talk about how important lyrics are, and how important instrumentals are, but I am so keen on them working together to deliver that story. I wanted to ask you, what do you think is the best lyric from the song that you chose?
DiPIRRO: I’d say… probably “Leper Messiah” which is basically about and describing an evangelical Christian, who gets all this money and whatever from people, and praise. Like a leper, you know? He’s the messiah because he’s the greatest thing ever! The song repeatedly says “Knees, knees, falling to your knees” like praying to him. And, like… I grew up in a religiously traumatic household, because my family was half Jehovah’s Witnesses, which is one of the more… unique religions around. So I can relate to that since it’s what I would see in that kind of church environment, because women are especially oppressed. You’re not allowed to be at a higher level in the church like, literally last year they finally decided that you could wear pants.
VILLAFAN: What?
DiPIRRO: I know, right?! That’s insane! It’s just very strange. Like, my grandma, when that happened, she was like calling me and so excited about it, like, how you do not recognize this? This is not normal! That is crazy!
VILLAFAN: Are you the type that memorizes lyrics?
DiPIRRO: [Immediately] Yes.
VILLAFAN: Okay! So do you wanna play a game…?
DiPIRRO: Oh no—Sure. Yes!
VILLAFAN: It’s from your playlist, but I won’t tell you what song! “Riding through dust clouds and barren wastes / Galloping hard on the plains.”
DiPIRRO: Oh no… I have no idea… I’m sorry! I think it’s from—is it “Run to the Hills”?
VILLAFAN: Yeah!
DiPIRO: Oh yeah! I only remember it if you were to sing it.
VILLAFAN: Yeah, I get it! That’s pretty common with most people. All right, yeah, that’s all I have. Thank you!
The Songs Isabella DiPirro included in her playlist;
- Thin Lizzy’s “Whiskey In The Jar,” off Vagabonds of the Western World, 1972.
- Metallica’s “The Four Horsemen,” off Kill ‘Em All, 1983.
- Black Sabbath’s “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,” off Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, 1973.
- Judas Priest’s “The Sentinel,” off Defenders of the Faith, 1984.
- Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water,” off Machine Head, 1972.
- Iron Maiden’s “Run to the Hills,” off The Number of the Beast, 1994.
- Metallica’s “Leper Messiah,” off Master of Puppets, 1986.
- Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock & Roll,” off Stranger in Town, 1978.
- Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower,” off Electric Ladyland 1968.
- Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Gimme Three Steps” off (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd), 1973.
- Live’s “I Alone” off Throwing Copper, 1994.
- Danzig’s “Mother” off Danzig, 1988.
