I need help finding a song (haven't heard it since 2004)
 

The song sounds like thrash metal, but slightly more melancholic. It started being played on the radio around May of 2004. That's when it first appeared on Q101, an alternative rock station in Chicago.

The song starts out slow with a guitar solo followed by a (low) male voice singing very melancholic lyrics. I believe one of the verses is something like "darkness has taken over me" or something similar. After the singer says this, the music becomes very intense, rhythmical and very, very epic. It's all instrumental at this point. My first impression of this part of the song was that it sounded like a freight train rolling over you. Then it fades and there is another guitar solo which is followed by the male voice and by the intense/rhythmical instrumental part again. I think... that's how it goes.

When I first heard the song I thought it was by Metallica, but, now I know (after meticulously searching through every Metallica album) that it's not. I've been searching all day and I just don't know where to turn or where to look next.

There is also a hint of an audience cheering in the background at the beginning of the song (I think) and the music video (if there was one) had scenes from the War in Iraq in it.

Can somebody please help me figure this out?

Maybe my use of the word "rhythmical" is slightly misleading. Maybe repetitive is better.

Also, the intense instrumental part has a sort of UP-DOWN quality to it. There is an instrumental (guitar) boom*boom*boom up followed by a boom*boom*boom down. I think, maybe not exactly like that but similar. This is the part that repeats and is very intense.

Okay, found it. It's Fade to Black by Metallica.

I assume you now know that the song is from 1984 rather than 2004. :laughing:

Yes, of course :p:

It's amazing how awesome they were even back when they were in their early 20s. Metallica is definitely one of the best bands of all time.

Yes, I completely agree with this. I have a DVD with Metallica's music videos from 1989-2004, and it is awesome. I payed $2.00 for it at a pawn shop :D