Music Discovery Monday – 10/19/15

Hard Rock Daddy presents Music Discovery Monday – 10/19/15.

Each week, the HRD team shares songs that fly below radio’s radar, ranging from lesser-known artists to deeper cuts from both up-and-coming and established artists.

In addition to exposing the Hard Rock Daddy audience to new music that isn’t getting the attention that it deserves from radio, Music Discovery Monday also features a segment called “Hard Rock Music Time Machine,” which showcases older songs (from the ’70s to today) that hard rock music fans may have missed at the time of release.

In addition to appearing on the embedded YouTube playlists beneath each section, all songs featured on Music Discovery Monday can be listened to by clicking on the hyper-linked song titles.

This week, Music Discovery Monday features an exclusive interview with legendary vocalist Joe Lynn Turner, who discusses his song on Magnus Karlsson’s upcoming Free Fall album and a song from 2009’s Sunstorm album.

 

 

 ADAM WALDMAN – (Publisher, Hard Rock Daddy)

MAGNUS KARLSSON’S FREE FALL (f. Joe Lynn Turner) – “No Control”

Swedish guitarist/songwriter/producer Magnus Karlsson – whose work includes: Primal Fear, Allen/Lande, Kiske/Somerville, Last Tribe and Starbreaker – is about to drop his second solo album under the Free Fall moniker.  Once again, Karlsson has enlisted a who’s who of hard rock singers to help bring his songs to life.

“No Control” is melodic hard rock at its best.  If this song had come out during the ‘80s (the decade of music that heavily influenced Karlsson), there is no doubt that this song would have been a huge commercial hit.  Featuring the always-stellar vocals of Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen, Deep Purple), “No Control” takes you on a journey back in time.  The melody and harmonies are infectious, and Karlsson makes the guitar sing with shredding that makes you long for days gone by.  This song is tailor-made for JLT’s voice and distinct style, featuring a nice blend of Rainbow and Yngwie elements.

 

In a Hard Rock Daddy exclusive interview with legendary vocalist Joe Lynn Turner, he discussed how he came to work with Magnus Karlsson on “No Control”…

“Magnus Karlsson is an amazing songwriter and guitarist. He asked me to sing on a song that he wrote called ‘No Control.’ I thought that it was a very commercial song, and I’m not opposed to doing that kind of stuff. I thought that he had a really good one here. I went into the studio and nailed it, and was very pleased with the mix. I let him know that he really did a nice job with it after hearing the finished product. The values are all proper; the voice is sitting on top of the track where it should be, and it’s just clean and beautiful. I was happy to do it for him.

The song itself has kind of a pissed-off, bad boy lyric. It’s just like being on the run that night, on the loose. We’ve all been there before. When I wrote ‘On The Run’ on my first solo album, it was basically the same idea; it’s just about having a good time.”

 
 

MAGNUSS KARLSSON’S FREE FALL (f. Jorn Lande) – “Kingdom Of Rock”

Whereas “No Control” is a straight-forward, melodic hard rock track, “Kingdom Of Rock” is power metal track that is a little more intense, edgy and bombastic.  Once again, shades of Yngwie Malmsteen shine through in Karlsson’s guitar work.  This song has a definite theatrical feel, especially the backing vocals, which perfectly complement Jorn Lande’s charismatic lead vocals.

Although Lande is not as well-known to mainstream audiences as Joe Lynn Turner, the Norwegian frontman is at the top of the food chain when it comes to the current generation of European power vocalists.  Lande’s work dates back to the mid-‘90s, a time when metal fell out of favor in the United States.  If he had arrived on the scene a decade earlier, you have to believe that he would be a household name.

If “Kingdom Of Rock” – the title track off of the forthcoming Free Fall album – and “No Control” are any indication of what’s to come, this album promises to be something special.

 

 

 

 JON LOVELESS – HRD Music Scout

AFFINITY – “Wish”

From Toronto comes yet another band fronted by a talented female vocalist.  What stands out most to me here is the emotion that Ashley Curtis can pack into a song; she displays an ability to make the listener believe the lyrics.  Sounds simple enough… except for the fact that not everyone can do it.  It’s a gift that helps make this trio a worthy addition to the scene.

 

KRASHKARMA – “Save Me”

California-based duo with an above average range of sound thanks to the heavier and harsher voice of Ralf Dietel, and the higher melodic vocals from Nicole Skistimas.  This first song – unveiled from their forthcoming album due later this month –  goes to the heavier side, and while there’s bits of European/industrial influence here (at least to my ear), it works as a hard rock song quite well, with enough energy and melody to fit Active Rock as well.

 

 

 

ROB DELL’AQUILA – HRD Music Scout

RIOT ON MARS – “Carry On”

Riot On Mars reunites two friends with huge musical resumes: bassist Barry Sparks (Yngwie Malmsteen, Uli Jon Roth, Michael Schenker Group, U.F.O., Dokken) and vocalist Michael Vescera (Yngwie Malmsteen, Loudness, Obsession).  The songs on their independently released debut album smoothly blend elements of ‘70s hard rock and ‘80s hair metal.

 

HOMEWRECKR – “Like You”

Out of Clarkston, Washington, Homewreckr delivers modern hard rock complete with gravelly vocals and intense, addictive guitar riffs.  From their debut album, The Wreckning, released earlier this year, comes the single, “Like You.”  It blends punchy instruments with brash lyrics into an upbeat appeal that simply drips with groove and attitude.

 

 

 

   CHRIS HERZEGOVITCH – HRD Music Scout

WAKEN EYES – “Back To Life”

Brand new all-star band Waken Eyes features the pro talents of Henrik Båth (Darkwater) on vocals, Mike Lepond (Symphony X) on bass, Tom Frelek’s guitar/keyboards/orchestration, and Marco Minnemann (Joe Satriani, The Aristocracts, Steven Wilson) on drums.  This powerful song about resilience, with top-notch musicianship, is from the band’s debut album, Exodus (which comes out this month).

 

BARQUE OF DANTE – “Twinfinity”

It’s unusual to get symphonic power metal from Barque Of Dante’s native China.  The title track of their recently released EP, “Twinfinity,” features a good mix of power metal rhythm lines, melodic vocals and guitar work.  Vocalist Rob Lundgen is new to the band on this release.
 

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@MusicDiscoveryMo

nday.com

 

 

HARD ROCK MUSIC TIME MACHINE

 ADAM WALDMAN

SUNSTORM (f. Joe Lynn Turner) – “Forever Now” (2009)

Joe Lynn Turner may be known to the masses for his work with Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen and Deep Purple, but his vast catalog goes much deeper than that.  JLT is about to go into the studio to record his fourth studio album with Sunstorm, a band that also features Pink Cream 69 members Dennis Ward (bass), Uwe Reitenauer (guitar) and Chris Schmidt (drums).

One of the more memorable tracks from the band’s 2009 release, House Of Dreams, is “Forever Now,” a song that JLT co-wrote with Bob Held.  Classic melodic hard rock, with huge hooks featuring JLT’s distinct, timeless vocals, and music that is reminiscent of Survivor’s radio hits.

 

In a Hard Rock Daddy exclusive interview, JLT discussed the writing of “Forever Now”…
 
“We were holed up in a basement and started writing like crazy. In fact, I still have some unrecorded songs from those days. We had an 8-track recorder, and I’ve still got the demo cassettes of them. I might have to pop out some of those songs and re-work them because they’re very good. It was a very creative period for all of us. I was with a bunch of friends and it was so much fun. You know, you just get in the room with all these great musicians and all this talent, and everybody just contributes.

The song itself is a consummate love song for anyone and everyone. I can’t really say that it was attached to any one girl. I’ve heard about some people using it at their weddings, sort of like ‘Endlessly.’ Lyrics are really just poetry. Sometimes they are about someone specific, like ‘Street Of Dreams,’ for example, but this one wasn’t.”

 
 

PINK CREAM 69 – “Wasted Years” (2013)

Pink Cream 69’s history dates back to 1987.  This German heavy metal outfit has released 11 studio albums, and yet, still flies largely under the radar (at least in the United States).  Off of their 2013 release, Ceremonial, “Wasted Years” is powerful, melodic hard rock track that serves as a reminder to live each day to the fullest as wasted minutes eventually add up to years being wasted.  While the message of the song provides a harsh dose of reality, it does so in such an uplifting way that it inspires without judging.

 

 

 

JON LOVELESS

PATTY SMYTH & SCANDAL – “Warrior” (1984)

The first of two songs this week (with a connection that I suspect many won’t realize) features one of the most promising ‘80s female voices in rock.  Scandal was unable to fully capitalize on the success of hit singles as the band began going their separate ways almost immediately.  Still, a notable song from the era.

 

KIX – “Body Talk” (1983)

Several years before the success of their third album (Blow My Fuse) helped this Maryland band reach their peak, there was a somewhat lighter release that garnered some attention.  While it’s a departure from the sound that they would become known for, it stands out as an example of how “rock” would evolve over the next several years.

NOTE:  The connection between these two songs (other than videos with questionable style choices) is the songwriter.  Both tracks were penned by Nick Gilder, best known for his late ‘70s smash “Hot Child In the City.”

 

 

 

  ROB DELL’AQUILA

DARREN SMITH BAND – “It All Comes Back” (2005)

Darren Smith is probably best known as the former drummer and occasional vocalist for Harem Scarem. He took a break from them for the first decade of the new century.  In 2005, he put out a fantastic hard rock album with some other veteran musicians as the Darren Smith Band. For that project, he relinquished the drums and took up the vocals.  The sound stays true to Harem Scarem, but finds its own modern rock flavor.  The album was produced by Harem Scarem frontman, Harry Hess, and the album was recorded in the band’s studio.  Smith rejoined Harem Scarem briefly, and remains affiliated with them, but is now the frontman for Jake E. Lee’s Red Dragon Cartel.

 

DIRE STRAITS – “Hand In Hand” (1980)

Most listeners are familiar with Mark Knopfler’s bigger hits as the frontman and lead guitarist for Dire Straits.  “Hand In Hand” is a lesser-known masterpiece from the band’s 1980 signature album, Making Movies.  It takes a studied nuance to capture a yearning this wistful in music.  This is one song that he surely won’t be playing when I catch him tomorrow night on his solo tour.

 

 

 

 CHRIS HERZEGOVITCH

TRIDDANA – “The Reaper’s Lullaby” (2012)

Scottish Folk metal… from Argentina.  Electronomicom’s Diego Valdez lends his tremendous vocals to this unusual genre of metal.  The band name comes from the Irish word “troideanna,” which means “struggle”…the underlying theme of the tracks on Ripe For Rebellion.  Hard, driving and rhythmic with a rousing bag-piped refrain that makes you want to take up arms alongside William Wallace and cry “FREEDOM!”  Terrific guitar as well from Juan José Fornés.

 

KOTIPELTO – “Sleep Well” (2007)

Timo Kotipelto’s (Stratovarius) solo work from his 2007 album, Serenity.  Melodic power-metal featuring his unique vocals and signature sound, plus excellent guitar work from Tuomas Wäinölä.