Hard Rock Daddy presents Music Discovery Monday – 3/28/16.
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 September, the creative force behind September Mourning, who discusses the band’s latest single, “Eye Of The Storm.”
ADAM WALDMAN – (Publisher, Hard Rock Daddy)
SEPTEMBER MOURNING – “Eye Of The Storm”
Hard Rock Daddy jumped on the September Mourning bandwagon back in September of 2015 when the band was still independent. The band recently announced their signing with Sumerian Records, and have just released their first official single with the label, “Eye Of The Storm.” This song was featured as the pick of the week on the HRD Radio Report a while back (before the radio push even began). This band is much more than another in a long line of female-fronted hard rock acts (a current trend).
The heavy music of “Eye Of The Storm” provides a perfect landscape for September to showcase a dynamic, emotive vocal range that helps bring the song to life in a manner that makes you think of this as art. The theatricality of the song is further enhanced by the imagery in the band’s debut video since being signed. If you somehow missed September Mourning when they were featured earlier on Hard Rock Daddy, make sure not to miss the opportunity to discover something truly unique this time around.
In a Hard Rock Daddy exclusive, September (Emily Lazar) shares the story of this powerful song…
“ ‘Eye of the Storm’ was written as a battle cry for our fans (who we affectionately call our ‘Children of Fate’). The song was written from the point of view of September describing the trials of her half human/ half reaper lifestyle, while paralleling it to our fans’ own lives.
In the chorus she exclaims…‘Escape from all your darker days, follow me, I’ll lead the way back home.’
This is a statement of unity showing that, even though you may find yourself in a storm of negativity and darkness, through our music, message and story, we will always be there to help you find your way back to a better place. It’s a heavy song infused with hope, and our recurring message that the only true limitations that we have in life are the ones that we inflict upon ourselves.
‘Eye of the Storm’ is the first single in the tale of September Mourning released through Sumerian Records.”
DORO – “Love’s Gone To Hell”
Doro Pesch’s career began in the early ‘80s as the frontwoman of German heavy metal band, Warlock. By the late ‘80s, she moved on from Warlock and transitioned to her own band, Doro. Nearly three decades since her first release under the Doro moniker, this underrated powerhouse continues to put out quality music that rarely gets its due (at least in America). With the recently-released single, “Love’s Gone To Hell,” Pesch proves that she is still on top of her game, both vocally and as a songwriter.
JON LOVELESS – HRD Music Scout
FROM ASHES TO NEW – “Shadows”
After releasing what was easily chosen as my top EP of 2015, this Pennsylvania band followed up with a full album early this year. Of the seven new tracks included on Day One, this immediately struck me as the standout, highlighting the Hollywood Undead vibe that they deliver very well.
LOVE AND DEATH – “Lo Lamento”
Korn’s Brian “Head” Welch is back with his solo/side project, delivering perhaps the most mature sound from the outfit to date. He’s surrounded by solid talent, including producer Jasen Rauch (Breaking Benjamin), Dan Johnson (Red), and JR Bareis (Islander) who also adds vocals to this track. A mostly relatively low-key song before finding another gear at the end, and that is what takes it to another level.
ROB DELL’AQUILA – HRD Music Scout
JADED HEART – “Rescue Me”
German/Swedish veterans Jaded Heart return on April 22nd with their new album, Guilty By Design. Producing top quality melodic metal since 1992 – and for the past ten years with current vocalist Johan Fahlberg and guitarist Peter Oestros heading up the lineup. They come out firing hard on the first release from their upcoming album.
ETERNITY’S END – “The Fire Within”
Power metal and progressive metal merge in this exciting new band put together by guitarist Christian Muenzner. He teamed up with members of his former bands (Alkaloid, Necrophagist, Obscura) and then perfected the lineup by enlisting renowned Dutch singer/songwriter Ian Parry (ex-Elegy, Consortium Project).
CHRIS HERZEGOVITCH – HRD Music Scout
OCEANS OF TIME – “Trust”
Norway’s Oceans Of Time just released their second full-length album, Trust. The title track is a rocking, frenetic romp through several classic rock and metal styles. Buckle up for a well-executed and wild ride.
POYNTE – “In My Head”
Ever wonder what people are staring at with a sly or stupid grin? “In My Head” from Poynte’s most recent album, Discreet Enemy, gives you some idea. This is an edgy, alternative metal/rock version of a track originally recorded by R&B/rap artist Jason Derulo.
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
HARD ROCK MUSIC TIME MACHINE
ADAM WALDMAN
LITA FORD – “Only Women Bleed” (1990)
In 1975, Alice Cooper’s original version of “Only Women Bleed” was released as “Only Women” due to the controversy of the perception of the song being about menstruation by feminist groups. The song – which is actually about a woman in an abusive marriage – was released with its original title 15 years later when it was recorded by rock goddess, Lita Ford. With all due respect to Cooper, there is something about Ford’s version that gives the song a much more emotional feel. Though the original was fairly successful, Ford is the first one that comes to mind when this song is mentioned. The best cover songs are the ones where the artist makes it their own. Lita Ford does that with this powerful tune.
SASS JORDAN – “High Road Easy” (1994)
Sass Jordan has released a number of albums since making her debut in 1988, but most of her work is not known to rock audiences. In fact, in hard rock circles, she is more well-known for taking on the role of “Suite Sister Mary” with Geoff Tate’s Queensryche (before the lawsuit settlement), than she is for her own material. My initial introduction to Jordan came in 1994 with “High Road Easy,” an upbeat, bluesy rocker that showcases the powerful, soulful vocals of Jordan. With just the right amount of raspy grit, it’s surprising that Jordan never emerged as one of the top female rockers alongside the likes of the aforementioned Lita Ford.
JON LOVELESS
ACCEPT – “Stalingrad” (2012)
Title track from the second album after Accept regrouped, this is where I came to the conclusion that the band was not only back, but perhaps even stronger than ever. Fans seemed to agree; the album would become their first entry into the Top 100 U.S. Albums since 1985.
CANDLELIGHT RED – “She’s Got The Look” (2012)
Sometimes a cover, however unlikely, just … works. That was the case when this Pennsylvania outfit tackled a Roxette hit from 1988, delivering a version that managed to rock, while retaining the bouncy fun and catchiness of the original. The band has been quiet since the amicable departure of frontman Ryan Hoke back in 2014, but recent activity on social media has fans hoping that a return might be coming somewhere down the line.
ROB DELL’AQUILA
GAMMA RAY – “Rebellion In Dreamland” (1995)
In the late ‘80s, when vocalist and guitarist Kai Hansen parted ways with Helloween, he went on to found another pioneering German power metal band, Gamma Ray. They continue to put out amazing music to this day (almost thirty years later!), but set themselves one lofty benchmark early on with this power metal masterpiece.
ATTICK DEMONS – “Meeting The Queen” (2011)
If you love Iron Maiden, you are sure to love Portugal’s Attick Demons. Lead singer Artur Almeida is a dead ringer for Bruce Dickinson, and the band supports him with the high energy riffs and thundering bass lines that such vocal prowess demands. On this track, he is joined by a guest female vocalist, offering a slight change-of-pace from the rest of the album.
CHRIS HERZEGOVITCH
IRON MAIDEN – “Still Life” (1983)
The time machine goes back 33 years for one of my favorite Maiden tunes – “Still Life” from 1983’s Piece of Mind. You may recall the notoriety of this track with a hidden, backwards message at the beginning – (which was a joke that was intended to swing back at the critics who had accused them of being satanic).
SARGANT FURY – “Crack In The Mirror” (1995)
Germany’s Sargant Fury were a melodic heavy metal band active from roughly 1987-1996. “Crack in the Mirror” – from their last album in 1995 – is a great introspective, wrapped in the classic sound from metal’s heyday.
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