Dave -
The year 1991 doesn’t seem that long for some of us. But at the same time, seems like a completely different lifetime to others. Home computers were still relatively new. We used floppy disks to store data. Metallica was on the verge of a breakthrough. A couple years prior, they released their first video for “One” from their 4th record "...And Justice For All" after refusing to make a music video for years.
This was the dawning of a new era or some hardcore fans call it an “error” and the beginning of the end. Some fans you just can’t please. But the harsh truth is old fans can be replaced with new ones. When Metallica released their self-titled album (aka The Black Album), it broke all expectations by selling 16 million copies. That is double what their previous effort sold (it tool 14 years to get to the 8 million mark). I have to think part of that is due to the popularity of The Black Album and newer fans looking into the bands history.
I was one of the lucky ones, hearing the record before the release date at the listening party in New York City at the famed Madison Square Garden. Hearing the songs pumped through the sound system with nearly 20,000 other rabid fans. They also played some live videos, studio footage, etc. At the end of it all, the band came out on stage. It was James Hetfield’s birthday. So Lars said “On the count of 3, I want everyone to say “Fuck you, James!” and 20,000 fans replied. Fabulous!
Here we are, 30 years later and this classic is hitting a milestone. Metallica is celebrating its anniversary with a massive box set. Remastered CD, demos, rough mixes, live stuff, 53 artists covering the songs, DVDs, guitar picks, laminates, and a book. But you better have a thick wallet or one hell of a good friend. That box will cost $240. You could go with the cheaper, slimmed down, alternative route. Expanded remastered 3 CD set with demos and rough mixes will only be $30. And $30 more for the 4 CDs of the cover songs. Honestly, listening the clips of the covers, that seems a little high since its very eclectic and not a high likelihood of me liking a lot of it. A few may be good but I’m not holding my breath for the most of it. The digital copy of this is $50. Who names these prices and how is the digital more than a physical 4 CD set?
Getting back to 1991 though. Right from the first listen, I loved it all except “Nothing Else Matters”. It was a wide departure for the band but it eventually grew on me. Still didn’t like it as much the heavier stuff— “Don’t Tread on Me”, “Holier Than Thou”, “Sad But True”, “The God That Failed”, “Through the Never”. The track listing is perfect.
This masterpiece managed to knock down walls for new fans and build up walls, alienating some older fans at the same. I am one that stuck by them. A fan since their 3rd release, “Master of Puppets”, and journeyed backwards getting their first 2 cassettes, I embraced the bands growth. You can’t grow while standing still. For better or worse, this is essentially the start of Metallica 2.0 and they were ready to take over the world with the help of heavy rotation airplay on MTV. To paraphrase bassist Jason Newsted, you can call them a sell-out. Yes, they sell out every show, every night, sometimes multiple nights in the same city.
Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"
Also The Code Word For This Article Is BLACK Make a note!
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
Susan -
Anyone who has every listened to one of my writing playlists knows that you don't have to listen too long before a Yonaka tracks pops up. They are also one of my fave bands to see live, and Theresa Jarvis is one of my all time fave female vocalists.
Yonaka, who also features George Edwards on guitar, Alex Crosby on bass and keyboard, and Robert Mason on drums released Seize the Power, the follow up to their smash album, Don't Wait Til Tomorrow, last Thursday the 15th and it did not disappoint. Its that badass sound we have come to love coupled with this indescribable feeling that you can do just about anything, anthems for the repressed, the depressed and those who need to seize the power within.
Speaking of the new project, vocalist Theresa said:
Yonaka has some of the most incredible visual music videos, that screams creativity and each music video for Seize the Power seems to tell a story.
Seize the Power is a perfect blend of motivational anthems with Ordinary, Raise Your Glass and Raise your Glass, to massive FU tracks, like Get Out, Clique, Greedy and Call me a Saint, that will be epic live and the last track, Anthem, surprises the hell out of you in the best possible way.
Standout tracks for me:
The Entire Fucking EP. Nuff said.
Melanie Here - I discovered Yonaka from Susan's playlists a while ago! Creature is probably the one I listen to the most often!
Also The Code Word For This Article Is ALEX! Make a note - Then Tune In Sunday For More Details! Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis! You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
Inhaler are an Irish rock band originating from Dublin, Ireland. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Elijah Hewson, bassist Robert Keating, guitarist Josh Jenkinson and drummer Ryan McMahon. With an old school indie rock kinda feel, Inhaler first came on my radar after hearing the song, When It Breaks and I was like, how the hell had I not heard of them before.
I always love finding an Irish band to promote and Inhaler definitely have a big future ahead of them. When I first listened to the band, there was a niggling voice in my head where I was like...who the hell does the lead singer sound like? Turns out, that he had a very famous father from the little known Irish Band U2. Elijah Hewson is the son of U2 front-man Bono. Now, the fact that I found out the Elijah doesn't like to name drop his dad in interviews, wanting to pave the bands own way, I appreciated the way the band was trying to establish themselves before any links to his famous father were made. The album contains a mix of upbeat and easy listening songs. Some tracks like When it Breaks, Cheer Up Baby, It Won't Always Be Like this and In My Sleep will be rambunctious tracks when played live, something I hope to experience in December when they play a music venue in Cork. It Won't Always Be Like This is a mature debut form the Dublin Band, with tracks that will appeal to all kinds of rock lovers. Its the kind of album you need on a long road trip, in order to appreciate just how good this album is and how perfectly picked the tracks are.
Standout tracks for me: It Won't Always Be Like This, My Honest Face, Cheer Up Baby, A Night On The Floor, My King Will Be Kind, Who's Your Money On? (Plastic House), Totally and In My Sleep
Melanie Here - The Code Word For This Article Is BONO! Make a note - Then Tune In Sunday For More Details!
Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis! You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
FJØRA is Alexandra Petkovski. Hailing from Toronto, Canada, Alex grew up surrounded by music. A classically-trained pianist with a master's degree in composition, she wrote for film and stage before venturing into the world of cinematic pop. Now based in Nashville, Alexandra is churning out some of the industry’s most distinct forays into dance-infused pop music — born out of a classical taste for good production and a fearless drive to make a new sound in music
I stumbled upon FJØRA when looking for music for my new book series playlist and I got very intrigued because it was not easy to find any information about her! FJØRA reminds me a little of artists like Fleurie, Ruelle, Svricina and a little like Hayley Williams. Onyx is an album that is dark in tone, yet its definitely cinematic pop, and I love it. I can totally see most of the songs being featured in TV shows. When I said it was hard to find details out about FJØRA, I meant it and she doesn't even have many videos on YouTube, even for her first album, Onyx, which came out in March of this year. For now, you can stream it on most platforms, and get the album on Amazon. I've listened to this album a lot over the past couple of weeks and I still love it.
Standout tracks for me: (But this a complete unskippable album) Come With Me, Get Down, Outta my Way, Smile, Revenge is a bitch & so am I, Cage, Limitless (Ft. INTOTHEWILD) and This is the End Other songs FT FJØRA
Melanie Here - The Code Word For This Article Is ONYX! Make a note - Then Tune In Sunday For More Details!
Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis! You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!) The Best Male Vocalists in a Band - A feature by Dave Christy and Susan Harris - Part 2 from Susan7/1/2021
Susan's Picks-The lead singer of a band is usually the person you see standing front and center, setting the tone for the rest of the group. Dave had some awesome picks last week, so here are my top male vocalists from bands I love. Dave Grohl ( Foo Fighters)  Was there any doubt that I would start with my mate Dave? Everyone who knows me, knows that I am a proud member of the church of Grohl and I worship at the altar of Dave, preaching the gospel of the Foo's. Dave started out as a drummer for Nirvana, and after Kurt's death in 1994, he formed the Foo Fighters. Its not an easy feat to step out from behind the drum kit and become that lead singer, but Dave has the natural ability and tone to do it. He's just such an epic guy, whether he is belting out The Pretender or just him and a guitar singing My Hero acoustically. And to be honest, Dave has to be the nicest man in rock and roll which will always make him my number one singer in a band! Jared Leto (30 Seconds to Mars)  There is no doubt that Jared Leto can do it all, but I first fell in love with Jared's voice when I heard the song, The Kill and the album Beautiful lie. I will admit that Emo me was in love with dark haired, Jared from the video but its the way his voice just goes from soft to that powerful high that always gives me goosebumps. While I kinda drifted from the band when their music took a more obvious political turn, I still love early 30 Seconds to Mars and Jared's cover of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance is one of my all time fave covers. Oli Sykes (Bring Me The Horizon)  When Bring me the Horizon was first formed, they were essentially a pure metalcore group with lots of screaming, but after Oli's stint in rehab, when Oli accepted the band's Album Of The Year award for Sempiternal at the Alternative Press Music Awards in 2014 for the first time, Oli told the crowd that once he'd left rehab, he "didn't want to scream anymore, he wanted to sing from the fucking rooftops". And he did. The band and Oli himself's sound has transitioned overtime and now, in his vocals, we can hear the pain, the sadness, the grief and the anger in his lyrics. But also, Oli can sing...its not all about the screaming. In Hospital for Souls, Deathbeds, and even more recently when he collabed with Amy Lee of Evanescence on the haunting One Day the only Butterflies Will be in your chest, Oli held his own with the powerhouse that is Amy and it was a duet no one expected. Josh Franceschi (You Me At Six)  You Me At Six are a pure example of why you should always go to a gig early and listen to the support act. I went to see Paramore in Dublin and You Me At Six were one of the support acts that I just feel in love with. Josh was still in the award emo hair days but there was no denying his vocal ability. His tone was angsty, whether he was belting our, You've made your bed, so Sleep In It or Tigers and Sharks from Take off your colors and even over the years as they have matured as a band, with their newest release Suckapunch, where the title track is a rebel rousing song to the impossibly beautiful Glasgow that became the anthem when I wrote Fight Song. Conor Mason (Nothing but Thieves)  Conor Mason is the lead singer of Nothing but Thieves and band I loved even before they managed to bag a deal to record Bonnie Tyler's Holding out for a Hero, for the Vikings season 2 trailer. Back in 2014 I heard the song Graveyard Whistling, I was captivated by Conor's voice, and the power that creeps up on you when you least expect it. Conor is epic live, sounds just like he does on the CD, even if his dad dance moves are a little questionable. If you haven't listened to Nothing But Thieves yet, do yourself and your ears a favor and do it now! Kelly Jones (Stereophonics)  Kelly Jones was one of my very first crushes and Performance and Cocktails is still one of my fave albums. It brings me back to days where I was young and the summer was long. That gravely tone coupled with a Welsh accent just hit me harder than any band had done before and perhaps shaped the kind of vocals and songs I liked. But Kelly could do it all, belt out fast paced tunes like The Bartender and the Thief and my all time fave song, Just Looking. Chester Bennington (Linkin Park ,Grey Daze, Dead by Sunrise, and Stone Temple Pilots)  That smile. Hybrid Theory is the album I always say saved my life when I was a teenager. It spoke to me on so many levels at that age, putting into words things I was feeling but didn't quite know how to express. It was like poetry to music, and Chester had that unique voice made you pay attention. I remember seeing the music video for Crawling, back when MTV did music videos and immediately went out to buy the CD. I had to order it in from the US because it wasn't appropriate for Irish record stores. Chester gave a voice to my feelings back when I didn't know how I was feeling myself. I fell in love with tattoos and rock music because of him. When Chester died, I cried for the first time over the death of a celebrity, over a musician because I would never get to hear a new song sung by him. His death hurt, knowing that despite his happy demeanor, he was still haunted by his demons, like the rest of us mere mortals. but he left us with a legacy of songs and I will always be grateful for giving me a voice when I had none. Melanie Here - The Code Word For This Article Is MALE! Make a note - Then Tune In Sunday For More Details!
Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis! You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
Dave -
Bursting out of Paris, France, Halflives "Empty Rooms" CD fills the room with sound that leaves you bouncing to beat wherever you may be. The 3-piece band consists of Linda Battalani, Oscar Scantamburlo, and Fede Bernardi. A little rock, a little pop, a little alternative, all energy. Linda's vocals jump through the speakers joined with infectious rhythms to give you enough earworms to sing along to all week long.
"Empty Rooms" was released in 2017 so I am a little late to the party. But from their videography, this is definitely a band to watch for and keep a close eye on. As evidenced by their song "Victim" from the brand new 5 song EP "V", they are sure to change up the sound a little bit as they grow.
A couple of off-the-wall covers they have rebranded are My Chemical Romance's "Welcome to the Black Parade" & 30 Seconds to Mars "This is War". Heavily relying on piano to put their own spin on them, they have really impressed me. As a fan of both original bands, I was hesitant to listen but they definitely have my stamp of approval, which isn't easy to get when you cover songs that I already love.
Please check out the store and support the band if you dig what you are hearing.
Melanie Here - I'm not sure HOW I haven't heard them before but I LOVE them! The video for Victim (as I'm sure none of you will be surprised) really calls to my darker side. Thanks for sharing Dave!!!
Also The Code Word For This Article Is Echo! Make a note - Then Tune In Sunday For More Details!
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
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