Music Discovery Monday – 2/13/17
Music Discovery Monday shines a light on artists that are not getting the radio attention that they deserve, while also showcasing new singles by established bands that are likely to get airplay in the future.
In addition to appearing on the embedded YouTube playlist below, all songs featured on Music Discovery Monday can be listened to individually by clicking on the hyper-linked song titles above each review.
ADAM WALDMAN – (Publisher/Editor, Hard Rock Daddy)
PHIL CAMPBELL & THE BASTARD SONS – “Spiders”
It was just over a year ago that the hard rock and heavy metal world said goodbye to a true pioneer – Lemmy Kilmister. Shortly after Lemmy’s passing, the members of Motorhead released a statement that they would no longer continue on without the man whose name is synonymous with the band. The end of Motorhead didn’t mean that fans would never hear from the other members again.
For over 30 years, Phil Campbell helped to shape the Motorhead sound with his raw, gritty guitar riffs. Campbell has been around long enough to have spawned another generation of heavy metal musicians. With Motorhead in the rear view mirror, Campbell and his sons [Todd – guitars, Dane – drums, Tyla – bass] joined forces with vocalist Neil Starr to write and record an album under the moniker Phil Campbell & The Bastard Sons.
On “Spiders” – the first single from Phil Campbell & The Bastard Sons – you can hear the Motorhead influence as it chugs along with a heavy riff and thick rhythm section. However, because of Starr’s soaring vocals and the melodic vocal harmonies, this band has its own distinct sound.
Starr may not be one of Campbell’s “bastard sons,” but this unit works so well together, you’d think that he was a part of the family. The Motorhead connection obviously helps, but even without it, this band has tremendous potential to become one of the top hard rock acts around.
CHRISTOPHER SHAYNE – “Give A Damn”
“Hard southern rock with a blast of desert heat” is how Arizona’s Christopher Shayne describes his sound. A cool description that accurately portrays what Shayne is all about. Phoenix is not exactly a “hotbed” of southern rock, but that doesn’t mean that this brand of bluesy, country rock takes a back seat to those who hail from the south.
If anyone doubts that a southern rock revival is well under way, you need to look no further than artists like this who are bringing the genre back in a meaningful way. “Give A Damn” has a definite country feel, but the edgy guitars, heavy backbeat and gang vocals place this song distinctly in the rock category. Shayne’s soulful vocals take you back in time to southern rock’s heyday. This song will have instant appeal to fans in both the country and rock genres.
ANDY CHEUNG – HRD Music Scout
SEPULTURA – “Phantom Self”
From their fourteenth studio album, Machine Messiah, the guys from Brazil are back with their brand of tribal-influenced, groove-filled heavy thrash. Still without the Cavalera brothers (and to be honest, I don’t think anyone cares at this point), this album is a continuation of the Sepultura sound that is led by original guitarist Andreas Kisser. Derrick Green is no slouch either as he screams and belts his way through dark lyrics describing our society, religion and mankind’s demise. A great thrash album by some OG thrashers.
AMON AMARTH – “Raise Your Horns”
The brutal melodic death metal veterans from Sweden released their eleventh album in 2016, Jomsviking. “Raise Your Horns” is a great single from this album with a video that is always a fun watch. Continuing with their viking mythos, Johan Hegg screams about victory after a battle as we raise our beers for the warriors that have made it home and ones that have fallen. The melody begs the listener to sing along as the band chugs along with power and precision. (See how many musicians you recognize in the video).
ROB DELL’AQUILA – HRD Music Scout
SINNER – “Battle Hill”
Bassist/vocalist/producer Mat Sinner is a busy man in the metal world. His work has been covered here many times with artists such as Primal Fear, Voodoo Circle, and Level 10 (to name just a few). He starts off 2017 strong with a new album from his original band, Sinner, which dates all the way back to 1982. Here’s a taste from Tequila Suicide (due out March 31st).
BONFIRE – “Locomotive Breath”
The German metal band Cacumen, founded way back in 1972, would change its name in the ’80s (for marketing purposes) to Bonfire. The band has gone through many lineup changes, but the one constant (aside from a brief interval away) has been founder and guitarist Hans Ziller. In 2015, the band ended an era as it shook up its whole lineup (except for Ziller), even parting ways with long time vocalist Claus Lessman. To fill the spots, Ziller brought in bandmates from his other group, EZ Livin, including David Reece on vocals and Ronnie Parkes on bass. The new lineup put out a quality album that year and toured hard, reassuring their fan base, but have since parted ways with Reece. The plan then was to bring in Michael Bormann (Jaded Heart, Charade, Silent Force), who had briefly been the band’s vocalist once before, in the ’90s. In the interim, Alexx Stahl (Purple Rising, Roxxcalibur) agreed to fill in temporarily. However, he worked so hard and meshed so well with the band, that they made him the permanent frontman. Here he is performing with them on their newest album, Byte the Bullet (due out in March).
SUBMISSIONS
To be considered for Music Discovery Monday, please e-mail a link to the song being submitted on YouTube and an artist bio to – submissions@MusicDiscoveryMonday.com
