Hard Rock Daddy presents Music Discovery Monday – 5/9/16.
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.
This week, Music Discovery Monday features an exclusive interview with guitarist Robin Bibeau and vocalist Drew Theiring of Bibeau, discussing the band’s debut single, “Mark This.”
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, Hard Rock Daddy)
BIBEAU – “Mark This”
For the first time in the history of Music Discovery Monday, our featured artist has two members of the band discussing the song (see below). Of course, Bibeau is unlike any other band that has ever been covered in this forum. Intrigued? Read on…
Like DIO, Bibeau is named after the last name of two of the members (Robin and Peyton). The DIO connection comes into play not only because of the use of a last name of a band, but also because my connection to Bibeau goes back to before the brothers were even born.
My start in the music industry began with Billboard Magazine, but not as a writer (although I did write one feature article on hard rock and metal). In my final years with the magazine, I worked in the sales department, which gave me the opportunity to work with the independent labels. My favorite one, by a large margin, was Spitfire Records (which was founded by Paul Bibeau…Robin and Peyton’s dad). Although I was friendly with all of my clients, I felt like I was a part of the Spitfire family. They didn’t have the biggest budgets or spend the most money, but they put out some of my favorite music, and we had the most entertaining times together. It’s hard to recall how many nights were spent in “gentlemen’s clubs,” but there were plenty.
One of my most memorable music industry moments came courtesy of Bibeau. The first was when he was running Mayhem Records. DIO was having a record release party for Angry Machines, and Bibeau invited me to the event. It was at this event, that I got to spend a significant amount of time speaking to one of my idols (click here for full story). There were other memorable moments, but that’s a story for another day.
It would be fair to say that I owed Bibeau one, but neither that, nor our friendship has anything to do with featuring his sons’ band in this forum. The integrity of Hard Rock Daddy goes beyond friendship. I may have discovered this band because of their father, but they are featured here because of their talent.
Bibeau is a five-piece metal outfit from East Texas, who describe their sound as “a musical bridge between the classic power metal of the ‘70s and ‘80s, combined with the edge and attitude of today’s modern metal.” Musically, the band’s debut single (“Mark This”) is in the same vein as classic Queensryche, which is even more impressive when you take into account the fact that the band is so young (guitarist Robin is 19, and drummer Peyton is 15). The distinct, rangy vocal style of Drew Theiring is perfectly suited for this style of music. Theiring’s ability to blend the upper register with more angst-ridden vocals is reminiscent of Sebastian Bach’s early Skid Row days. If you’re looking for a band to jump on early, Bibeau is a great place to start!
In a Hard Rock Daddy exclusive interview, Robin Bibeau and Drew Theiring discuss their debut single…
Drew Theiring on what “Mark This” means to him…
“I came up with the lyrics to ‘Mark This’ while I was cruising in my old ’84 Dodge. Anyone can take what they want from the song, but for me, it’s about freeing yourself from a fear of death. It’s about breaking the chains, and not being afraid of getting shot at by those who would drag you down.”
Robin Bibeau on the band’s sound…
“We wanted to go for a sound that represented the old school influence of metal bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, but at the same time, we also wanted it to sound fresh and new by incorporating influences of modern prog bands. That being said, we don’t actively think of our influences when writing the music; it just kind of comes out of us naturally and we mix it together. All five of us have a common ground when it comes to the bands that we like, but we also have influences that are unique to each of us. We use our differences to our advantage to create what is (at least in my mind) a unique sound.”
THROUGH FIRE – “Stronger”
From the ashes of Emphatic rises Through Fire, the newest project from guitarist Justin McCain. Rather than continuing on as Emphatic with more lineup changes, McCain felt that he needed a new beginning, which is the reason for the name change. Emphatic’s lineup changes had caused McCain to have a difficult time writing new material while trying to stay true to any particular sound from the band’s history. The name change freed McCain to “write from the heart.” Click here to read the full story as told by McCain. Whether you were a fan of Emphatic (which I was) or not, there is a lot to like from Through Fire’s debut single, “Stronger.”
The catchy melodies that were synonymous with Emphatic are still front and center on Through Fire’s debut single, albeit with a bit more edge that should give it even greater appeal for Active Rock programmers. A good description of “Stronger” would be Skillet on steroids. It will be interesting to see if this re-branding helps to take McCain to a higher level than Emphatic was able to reach. It certainly seems possible given their strong start.
ANDY CHEUNG – HRD Music Scout
HIGH ON FIRE – “The Black Plot”
“The Black Plot” is a song from High on Fire’s seventh studio release, Luminiferous. For fans of old-school classic thrash metal, this album will not disappoint. The band is helmed by Matt Pike (formerly of Sleep). Listen to this three-piece’s songwriting and musical compositions and you will understand why they have been around for so many years. Drawing influences from the likes of Motorhead, their songs are fast, thunderous, growling. All-in-all, this a great metal album to add to their discography.
THE SWORD – “The Dreamthieves”
Listen to The Sword and you will hear the bluesy, doom groove Black Sabbath influence. Listen a little closer and you’ll hear the influences of bands like Sleep (see review above). “The Dreamthieves” is off The Sword’s fifth studio album, High Country. Not afraid to change things up, the band incorporated elements of southern rock, classic rock and even psychedelic rock into this album, which makes for an interesting listen.
ROB DELL’AQUILA – HRD Music Scout
WICKED MARAYA – “Suicidal Dawn”
Wicked Maraya is an American hard rock band that released three albums back in the ‘90s. However, their new album, Lifetime In Hell, should have been their debut album in 1991. It got shelved due to various complications, but it’s out now with two newly recorded songs, including “Suicidal Dawn,” which combines that classic ‘90s sound with a modern edge. Twin guitars and raw (but clean) vocals dominate.
VOLYMIAN – “Line Of Fire”
A friend brought this new melodic metal band out of Finland to my attention. They released their debut album, Maze Of Madness, just last month, and if this first song is any indication of the rest of the album, I want to hear more. The band apparently formed back in 2008 and had released three self-published EPs before getting signed to a Canadian label for their first full-length album.
CHRIS HERZEGOVITCH – HRD Music Scout
MAJESTY OF REVIVAL – “Alive”
Majesty of Revival recently released “Alive” from their new album, Dualism. This is an eclectic metal band that covers a variety of sounds. “Alive” is more alternative and prog. Dimitriy Pavlovskiy, the band’s guitarist and lead singer, formed Majesty Of Revival in 2009, and describes the band as that “Crazy Metal band from Ukraine!”
DELAIN – “Suckerpunch”
The Netherlands is home to Delain, a symphonic metal band that was founded in 2002. Charlotte Wessels belts out the melodic vocals on “Suckerpunch,” supported by a killer rhythm line which gives the track plenty of backbone. This track is from their latest EP, Lunar Prelude.
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
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