Category: news

HRD Radio Report – Week Ending 9/18/21

Each week on HardRockDaddy.com.  The HRD Radio Report digs deeper into the weekly Active Rock charts, providing commentary, reviews, recommendations and predictions.  It also features opinion pieces on chart action and the music business in general. The following is the Active Rock Mediabase Chart for the week ending 9/18/21. All exclusive HRD content is featured below the chart:

RANK (TW)	RANK (LW)	ARTIST	SONG TITLE	SPINS
1	2	PRETTY RECKLESS	Only Love Can Save Me Now	1876
2	1	FOO FIGHTERS	Making A Fire	1829
3	5	CHEVELLE	Mars Simula	1401
4	3	MAMMOTH WVH	Don’t Back Down	1374
5	6	DAUGHTRY	Heavy Is The Crown	1302
6	7	SEETHER	Wasteland	1287
7	9	POP EVIL	Survivor	1250
8	8	EVANESCENCE	Better Without You	1206
9	4	VOLBEAT	Wait A Minute My Girl	1205
10	10	ATREYU f. TRAVIS BARKER	Warrior	1069
11	11	HALESTORM	Back From The Dead	1061
12	12	BEARTOOTH	The Past Is Dead	911
13	13	FOZZY	Sane	897
14	16	ASKING ALEXANDRIA	Alone Again	896
15	14	AYRON JONES	Supercharged	882
16	15	FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH	Darkness Settles In	759
17	17	GRETA VAN FLEET	Built By Nations	736
18	20	BADFLOWER	Don’t Hate Me	616
19	18	IRON MAIDEN	The Writing On The Wall	612
20	22	COHEED AND CAMBRIA	Shoulders	551
21	27	BAD WOLVES	Lifeline	535
22	21	ARCHITECTS	Dead Butterflies	525
23	25	STARSET	Infected	491
24	23	FUEL	Hard	487
25	24	THRICE	Scavengers	472
26	19	DEAD POET SOCIETY	.CoDA.	432
27	36	PAPA ROACH	Kill The Noise	426
28	26	DIRTY HONEY	The Wire	396
29	31	BLACK STONE CHERRY	Give Me One Reason	276
30	29	LILITH CZAR	Anarchy	275
31	32	DED	Kill Beautiful Things	270
32	28	TRIVIUM	Feast Of Fire	237
33	38	DEAD SARA	Heroes	230
34	34	JOYOUS WOLF	Fearless	214
35	33	TWIZTID f. ICE NINE KILLS	Envy	212
36	35	DROPOUT KINGS f. SHAYLEY BOURGET	Virus	196
37	41	DOROTHY	What’s Coming To Me	149
38	43	KINGDOM COLLAPSE	Unbreakable	131
39	30	NONPOINT	Ruthless	131
40	40	TREMONTI	If Not For You	129
41	49	MANESKIN	I Wanna Be Your Slave	116
42	42	AVATAR	Going Hunting	111
43	0	BRING ME THE HORIZON	DiE4u	105
44	131	JERRY CANTRELL	Brighten	105
45	71	ICE NINE KILLS	Rainy Day	101
46	45	WEEZER f. AJR	All My Favorite Songs	94
47	48	BLIND CHANNEL	Dark Side	93
48	46	SAUL	Looking To Fight	93
49	50	WAGE WAR	Circle The Drain	84
50	47	THE RECORD COMPANY	How High	84

 

 

PUBLISHER’S PICK OF THE WEEK (By Adam Waldman)

IRON MAIDEN – “The Writing On The Wall”

I recently read an article entitled “What Rock Fans Don’t Want To Admit.”  It was fairly lengthy (like a Maiden song), but the premise was basically that rock artists, more than other genres, seem to write their best music in their 20s and maybe 30s.  It’s hard to argue when you look over the empirical evidence and the career arc of most rock artists.  I would argue that one factor not mentioned is that streaming has made it harder for songs and albums to have staying power because you can basically get any song today for free.  No skin in the game (so to speak) makes it less likely that any new music will ever rival the classics of yesteryear.  But that is an article for another day.

Some legendary artists have decided that the squeeze isn’t worth the juice when it comes to releasing new music in the current climate.  Who can blame them?  After all, many of them can sell out arenas and stadiums by simply playing the songs that made them famous in the first place.  It’s understandable why some would take that approach, but it doesn’t mean that all legendary artists subscribe to the same theory, especially bands like Iron Maiden who never relied on radio play in the first place.

The gap between releases from Maiden has grown over time, the longest being the six years between the release of 2015’s The Book Of Souls and the recently released Senjutsu (an album that I’m not exactly sure how to pronounce if I’m being honest).  Perhaps it’s a sign of the times that Senjutsu just became Maiden’s highest charting debut in their illustrious history.  It’s not that it sold the most copies, just that they sold enough to make waves in a streaming society.  Unlike most bands, people still want to own physical copies of Maiden releases.  The band used smart marketing techniques to inspire sales.

Is this record selling well because it defied the premise of the aforementioned article that bands make their best music in their 20s and 30s?  I don’t think so.  An honest Iron Maiden fan will most likely not mention Senjutsu in the same breath as The Number Of The Beast, Piece Of Mind, Powerslave or the like, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have value in the present day.  The album is filled with epic songs, but most are unlikely to reach the type of fan favorite status that makes them a must-play in concert for years to come.  However, I believe that one song has the potential to be a modern day “Fear Of The Dark.”  That song is the lead single, “The Writing On The Wall.”

It’s somewhat surprising to see the song getting played on Active Rock radio given that the format has consistently shunned any type of classic heavy metal.  But maybe, the format is at least willing to give a nod to the all-time legends who are still releasing music worthy of recognition.  “The Writing On The Wall” seems like it’s tailor-made for the stage.  Out of all of the songs on Senjutsu, it is the one that I would actually be disappointed not to hear in concert.  That’s not to say that the album doesn’t have other memorable moments, just not ones that I believe will stand the test of time against a juggernaut of a catalog that dates back nearly five decades.

 

 

HRD SPIN CONTROL 

Hard Rock Daddy recommends the following tracks for airplay on Active Rock Radio…

ARTIST	SONG TITLE
BLACKTOP MOJO	Wicked Woman
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY	Set You Free
PARALANDRA	Despicable
BLACK VEIL BRIDES	Crimson Skies
RISE AGAINST	Talking To Ourselves
TESLA	Cold Blue Steel
ICE NINE KILLS/JACOBY SHADDIX	Hip To Be Scared
FROM ASHES TO NEW	Light Up The Sky
ROLLING STONES	Living In The Heart Of Love
SUECO	Paralyzed
LOVE THE HATE	Solid Ground
BIG WRECK (f. CHAD KROEGER)	Middle Of Nowhere
PSYCHO HILL	Dying Day

 

 

GREATEST GAINERS…

ARTIST	SONG TITLE	spINcrease
PAPA ROACH	Kill The Noise	426
BAD WOLVES	Lifeline	535
ASKING ALEXANDRIA	Alone Again	896
PRETTY RECKLESS	Only Love Can Save Me Now	1876
SEETHER	Wasteland	1287
HALESTORM	Back From The Dead	1061
CHEVELLE	Mars Simula	1401
POP EVIL	Survivor	1250
BRING ME THE HORIZON	DiE4u	105
JERRY CANTRELL	Brighten	105

 

 

RELATED ARTICLES:

TOP 100 HARD ROCK SONGS OF 2020

The post HRD Radio Report – Week Ending 9/18/21 appeared first on Hard Rock Daddy.

This playlist serves as a gateway to the music of Mt. Joy and accompanies the Fine Tuning Podcast episode featuring the band.

This playlist serves as a gateway to the music of Mt. Joy and accompanies the Fine Tuning Podcast episode featuring the band.

Caged Wolves – Act of Nature Beyond Control (2021)

Coming to us from the cultural hub of Vienna, this is the third release from Caged Wolves, following their back-to-back studio and live EPs in 2019. This time around, the band brings three songs to the table, each settling in the eight to ten minute range, working a mix of desert rock, doom metal, and alternative approaches to each.

First of the tunes is “Cosmic Rage”, which kicks off on a psychedelic groove with some phasing guitar over heavy rolling drums. Settling into a slow-moving but powerful groove which hangs around for much of the song’s remainder, the band counterpoints it with bursts of glowering energy, punching up the vocals right alongside the strings and drums. The vocalist is gracious enough to bow out for a stretch, letting the listener soak in some instrumental interactions as they gradually build to a crescendo, leading to a real banger of a climax. “Chronos” follows, leading with an interesting intro finger-picking and rim percussion before sliding to an almost wistful arrangement. They put the high-energy bursts of the opening track to work again here, but raise the time spent in those outbursts each time, making for a cool study in alternation of their intensity. Thankfully, there’s enough emotion put into the slower portions that they don’t lose the thread, though the momentum does get stretched pretty far. Again, the climax delivers on the build-up, and the band shows some striking chemistry in the way they riff off of each other in this one’s release.

Lastly, “Through the Rainbow Valley” introduces itself by pulling out a blanket of fuzz for the strings, which, along with the fatness of the ensuing riffs, shifts things deep into Kyuss territory. As the band shifts their way back out along the course of the song, the psychedelic and prog elements get turned way up, culminating in a fantastically shagged-out roar. Oh, and then you get all three songs again, in instrumental form. The persistent quality of the songs is a testament to the work that this crew has been putting in since their last releases, and it certainly pays off nicely. Great song-writing and powerful playing, well worth checking out for anyone in the mood for something with some heavy music to take them away for a while.

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Acid Rooster, Broughton’s Rules, Don Caballero, Fatso Jetson, Frozen Planet….1969

Facebook • Official Website • Instagram • SoundCloud • Youtube • BandCamp

Caged Wolves – Chronos (320 kbps)

~

Caged Wolves – Act of Nature Beyond Control (2021)

Coming to us from the cultural hub of Vienna, this is the third release from Caged Wolves, following their back-to-back studio and live EPs in 2019. This time around, the band brings three songs to the table, each settling in the eight to ten minute range, working a mix of desert rock, doom metal, and alternative approaches to each.

First of the tunes is “Cosmic Rage”, which kicks off on a psychedelic groove with some phasing guitar over heavy rolling drums. Settling into a slow-moving but powerful groove which hangs around for much of the song’s remainder, the band counterpoints it with bursts of glowering energy, punching up the vocals right alongside the strings and drums. The vocalist is gracious enough to bow out for a stretch, letting the listener soak in some instrumental interactions as they gradually build to a crescendo, leading to a real banger of a climax. “Chronos” follows, leading with an interesting intro finger-picking and rim percussion before sliding to an almost wistful arrangement. They put the high-energy bursts of the opening track to work again here, but raise the time spent in those outbursts each time, making for a cool study in alternation of their intensity. Thankfully, there’s enough emotion put into the slower portions that they don’t lose the thread, though the momentum does get stretched pretty far. Again, the climax delivers on the build-up, and the band shows some striking chemistry in the way they riff off of each other in this one’s release.

Lastly, “Through the Rainbow Valley” introduces itself by pulling out a blanket of fuzz for the strings, which, along with the fatness of the ensuing riffs, shifts things deep into Kyuss territory. As the band shifts their way back out along the course of the song, the psychedelic and prog elements get turned way up, culminating in a fantastically shagged-out roar. Oh, and then you get all three songs again, in instrumental form. The persistent quality of the songs is a testament to the work that this crew has been putting in since their last releases, and it certainly pays off nicely. Great song-writing and powerful playing, well worth checking out for anyone in the mood for something with some heavy music to take them away for a while.

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Acid Rooster, Broughton’s Rules, Don Caballero, Fatso Jetson, Frozen Planet….1969

Facebook • Official Website • Instagram • SoundCloud • Youtube • BandCamp

Caged Wolves – Chronos (320 kbps)

~

The Slow Death – Siege (2021)

Hailing from Australia, this death/doom quintet has some common ground leading up to their current incarnation. Not only is this the fourth non-split album to come from The Slow Death, but three of the members are also in Horrisonous and Illimitable Dolor, with the two vocalists (one of whom also handles keyboards) having been plucked from Muskrat and Oracle of the Void. With the shared history between the main instrumental members, you’d expect to find this project approached with a strong sense of purpose, and just from glancing at the track times, that suspicion seems borne out. Totaling just over an hour, split between four songs, it’s clear that the band has their ambitions set high,

Opening track “Tyranny” leads into its body with a lush intro, strings and keys drifting over each other in a dreamlike softness. Of course, it’s not too long before a harder edge shows itself, as the bassist steps in with a staunch riff and gliding resonance, eventually joined by faster guitar and one of the vocalists (Mandy Andresen), who provides an earthy vibe not dissimilar from early Windhand or Jess And The Ancient Ones. That warm vibe is counter-balanced by the deeper growls from second vocalist Gamaliel, allowing the band to give a more human than usual manifestation of the death/doom contrast. Where Andresen’s vocals might be put against chugging guitar, Gamaliel’s might find some lightly plucked acoustic string backing, and so on. It’s a clever and compelling approach to the music, but even beyond that clear hook, the songs are structured with care. Lengthy as they are, the numerous sections within the songs manage to avoid dragging. Instead, there’s both emotion to savor in the moment, and the anticipation of the next shift, with the assorted movements flowing smoothly into one another.

The band also brings a pleasing variety of tonal and timbral qualities. Even within the opening track, the guitars shift their moody presences around from menacing, to meditative, to mournful, and more. While there’s not the sort of overt time signature jumping and staggered rhythmic play that might make your mind jump to prog, there’s certainly some progressive spirit animating the musicians’ approach to the song-writing. Take “Famine”, for example, which alternates a rolling, almost Iron Maiden-ish rhythmic pull (down-shifted to doom gear, of course) with slower, more somber sections. Not a new trick for doom, but the band deploys it wonderfully, returning to the harder riff each time with increased ferocity, chewing right through the song’s thirteen minutes. Even if you’re not intent on picking apart the songcraft, it’s easy to sink into their deep grooves and savor the work put into them. All together, it’s an excellent and impressive piece of work. If you’re in search of thoughtfully crafted doom, don’t let this one go unheard.

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Bell Witch, The Fateful Hour, Heavydeath, Ksyatriya, Ufomammut

Facebook • BandCamp

The Slow Death – Famine

~

The Slow Death – Siege (2021)

Hailing from Australia, this death/doom quintet has some common ground leading up to their current incarnation. Not only is this the fourth non-split album to come from The Slow Death, but three of the members are also in Horrisonous and Illimitable Dolor, with the two vocalists (one of whom also handles keyboards) having been plucked from Muskrat and Oracle of the Void. With the shared history between the main instrumental members, you’d expect to find this project approached with a strong sense of purpose, and just from glancing at the track times, that suspicion seems borne out. Totaling just over an hour, split between four songs, it’s clear that the band has their ambitions set high,

Opening track “Tyranny” leads into its body with a lush intro, strings and keys drifting over each other in a dreamlike softness. Of course, it’s not too long before a harder edge shows itself, as the bassist steps in with a staunch riff and gliding resonance, eventually joined by faster guitar and one of the vocalists (Mandy Andresen), who provides an earthy vibe not dissimilar from early Windhand or Jess And The Ancient Ones. That warm vibe is counter-balanced by the deeper growls from second vocalist Gamaliel, allowing the band to give a more human than usual manifestation of the death/doom contrast. Where Andresen’s vocals might be put against chugging guitar, Gamaliel’s might find some lightly plucked acoustic string backing, and so on. It’s a clever and compelling approach to the music, but even beyond that clear hook, the songs are structured with care. Lengthy as they are, the numerous sections within the songs manage to avoid dragging. Instead, there’s both emotion to savor in the moment, and the anticipation of the next shift, with the assorted movements flowing smoothly into one another.

The band also brings a pleasing variety of tonal and timbral qualities. Even within the opening track, the guitars shift their moody presences around from menacing, to meditative, to mournful, and more. While there’s not the sort of overt time signature jumping and staggered rhythmic play that might make your mind jump to prog, there’s certainly some progressive spirit animating the musicians’ approach to the song-writing. Take “Famine”, for example, which alternates a rolling, almost Iron Maiden-ish rhythmic pull (down-shifted to doom gear, of course) with slower, more somber sections. Not a new trick for doom, but the band deploys it wonderfully, returning to the harder riff each time with increased ferocity, chewing right through the song’s thirteen minutes. Even if you’re not intent on picking apart the songcraft, it’s easy to sink into their deep grooves and savor the work put into them. All together, it’s an excellent and impressive piece of work. If you’re in search of thoughtfully crafted doom, don’t let this one go unheard.

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Bell Witch, The Fateful Hour, Heavydeath, Ksyatriya, Ufomammut

Facebook • BandCamp

The Slow Death – Famine

~

Black Wound – To the Endless Depths (2021)

On the physical release of their debut EP, the Swedish trio of Black Wound serve up a heady mix of death and doom metal. Despite their young ages (with a drummer who’s currently 17), the band has a solid lock on the style and substance, delivering music with enough dark potency to shame groups twice their age.

Opening track “Absence of Will” jumps right into their swampy stew of deep bass riffs, growling vocals, and clanging percussion, with abrupt time signature and tempo change-ups meshing into the grim gurgles and noisome grooves. “From Eternity and Beyond” continues the intense outpouring, with the clangor of the cymbals rolling against the buzzy fuzz and submerged howls. All the while, they keep up some hooky rhythms, pulling listeners along through the surface-level chaos and into the sunken structuring. It also features one of their more memorable breaks, with a desolate-sounding solo taking advantage of the speed and separation contrasts.

“Unending Labyrinth” carries on with more of a classic death metal groove, though it’s one which lets the drummer really flex and showcase his chops. Meanwhile, the guitarist goes hard in on his riffing, with a circling progression that suits the track title. “Lurker of the Threshold / Dweller of the Depths” brings a touch of Lovecraft to the imagery, though it doesn’t alter the flavor of the music itself in any drastic way. Some extensive tone sustain fits with the monstrous depths and distance ideas of the title (at over seven minutes, this is also the EP’s longest excursion). Then it’s on into closing track “Traitor”, which shifts back into a more focused grind to match the succinct title. It’s one of the cleaner-sounding tunes on the EP, with another stand-out solo freed from the ambient din that marks most of the songs found here. All together, it’s a damn impressive first work from any band in the death/doom cross-pollination, with heaviness and brutality overflowing. Here’s to the arrival of Black Wound, with hopes that their next release arrives soon.

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Coffin Lurker, Fleshpress, Heavydeath, Leechfeast, Primitive Man

Dry Cough BandCamp • BandCamp

Black Wound – Unending Labyrinth (320 kbps)

~

Black Wound – To the Endless Depths (2021)

On the physical release of their debut EP, the Swedish trio of Black Wound serve up a heady mix of death and doom metal. Despite their young ages (with a drummer who’s currently 17), the band has a solid lock on the style and substance, delivering music with enough dark potency to shame groups twice their age.

Opening track “Absence of Will” jumps right into their swampy stew of deep bass riffs, growling vocals, and clanging percussion, with abrupt time signature and tempo change-ups meshing into the grim gurgles and noisome grooves. “From Eternity and Beyond” continues the intense outpouring, with the clangor of the cymbals rolling against the buzzy fuzz and submerged howls. All the while, they keep up some hooky rhythms, pulling listeners along through the surface-level chaos and into the sunken structuring. It also features one of their more memorable breaks, with a desolate-sounding solo taking advantage of the speed and separation contrasts.

“Unending Labyrinth” carries on with more of a classic death metal groove, though it’s one which lets the drummer really flex and showcase his chops. Meanwhile, the guitarist goes hard in on his riffing, with a circling progression that suits the track title. “Lurker of the Threshold / Dweller of the Depths” brings a touch of Lovecraft to the imagery, though it doesn’t alter the flavor of the music itself in any drastic way. Some extensive tone sustain fits with the monstrous depths and distance ideas of the title (at over seven minutes, this is also the EP’s longest excursion). Then it’s on into closing track “Traitor”, which shifts back into a more focused grind to match the succinct title. It’s one of the cleaner-sounding tunes on the EP, with another stand-out solo freed from the ambient din that marks most of the songs found here. All together, it’s a damn impressive first work from any band in the death/doom cross-pollination, with heaviness and brutality overflowing. Here’s to the arrival of Black Wound, with hopes that their next release arrives soon.

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Coffin Lurker, Fleshpress, Heavydeath, Leechfeast, Primitive Man

Dry Cough BandCamp • BandCamp

Black Wound – Unending Labyrinth (320 kbps)

~

Big Smile Revival – The Universal Veil (2021)

Coming at us from the Bristol region of the UK with this, their debut EP, the trio of Big Smile Revival balance retro psych rock leanings with some more modern rock rough ‘n’ tumble looseness.

Lead track “Sacred Mushroom” lays in a choice sample before sliding into a warm groove, which finds its way into bigger, faster, and rowdier forms as the group gets down with it. Staying instrumental, they keep the focus on the tones, rhythms, and interplay, and turn out a high-charged piece of cool exploration as a result. As the move into “Divided Kind”, a bit of a twist on pub rock rhythms sneaks its way in, spiked with enough grungy attitude to turn it on its ear. This song also brings in the vocals, which merge with the grumbly fuzz to great effect, dipping into and rising out of it as the harmony keeps moving. A tasty guitar solo gives it that much more kick, and keeps the energy up as the EP moves to its second half.

“Amhran Siog (Fairy Song)” gives a big nod to the group’s regional roots, and while there is some starry-eyed folksiness to the acoustic guitar lead-in, and accompanying lightness of the vocals, BSR tap back into the straight-out rock before they lose momentum. That play with contrasts fuels the rest of the song, with the band taking alternating scoops from each, and the clearer sections put a bigger spotlight on the band’s lyrical facility. Closing things out, “The Helm” indulges in some tonal lushness, riding the listener in on echoing guitar chords, with the same effect giving the vocals a spacy vibe. There’s a wistful quality to the playing on this last track, pushing the band’s emotional position out from the mass of the EP’s rock-out approach. It’s a nice show of their range, and the slowed tempo is given enough change-up in the breaks to keep it from turning into a closing lullaby. All together, great work from this group on their first outing, and enough quality across the songs to have me eagerly awaiting their next release.

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Fossil, Frozen Planet….1969, The Heavy Co., Pale Grey Lore, Vanilla Trainwreck

Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • SoundCloud • Youtube • Spotify

Big Smile Revival – Sacred Mushroom

~