Hard Rock Music Time Machine – 10/6/16
Each Thursday, Hard Rock Music Time Machine takes a journey back in time to feature a variety of songs that date back as far as the ’70s, the ’80s (the glory days of hard rock), hidden gems of the ’90s and hard rock/metal songs of the new millennium (as recent as a few years ago).
Whenever possible, it will also contain interviews from featured artists discussing the inspiration and meaning behind their songs. On the last Thursday of each month, we will be doing special themes that feature songs based on specific categories or years.
In addition to appearing on the embedded YouTube playlist below, all songs featured on Hard Rock Music Time Machine can be listened to individually by clicking on the hyper-linked song titles above each review.
ADAM WALDMAN – (Publisher, Hard Rock Daddy)
ALTER BRIDGE – “In Loving Memory” (2004)
In March of 2013 – the month that Hard Rock Daddy launched – I featured a review of Alter Bridge’s “In Loving Memory” (live from Amsterdam). Having just celebrated another of my dad’s birthdays since his passing, the song hit me hard. Anyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one can appreciate the emotion of this song. This is particularly true when the crowd sings in unison. It is one of the best live moments that I have ever seen (and I only experienced it on YouTube).
Mark Tremonti wrote the song for his mother who had passed away. When I interviewed Tremonti later on in the year, I asked him about the emotions of hearing the crowd sing in unison. He replied…
“It tore me up. It was very emotional. It was hard to hold back the tears up there in front of all those folks. At that moment, I was just thinking about baseball to try and get through it. We’ve kind of backed off of playing it a little bit, because it would be hard to go through that every single night. Other than ‘Blackbird,’ I think that it’s still my favorite AB song to this day.”
Little did I know that shortly after our interview, I would lose my mom too. The song was already difficult enough to listen to because it reminded me of my dad’s passing. Listening to it after my mom passed was almost too much to take. For that reason, I never went back and listened to the studio version. I decided to do so this week to feature it in this forum. Today is my mom’s birthday. This one goes out to her…
STRYPER – “Honestly” (1987)
It wasn’t until after my mom’s passing that I found out that Stryper’s “Honestly” was one of her favorite songs. We talked often, but not usually about music. I’m guessing that she never thought of it as a hard rock song. If she did, I think that she would have told me that she liked some of “my music.” When my sister told me about it, I was shocked. It wasn’t until this morning that I asked my sister for the full story about how she knew that my mom loved this song so much. Here’s the story…
“Mom always loved the lyrics, and when it would come on, she would talk about how it meant so much to her. She always thought of the three of us when she heard it. She would mouth the lyrics and do her ‘Mom kind of dance’ (I can picture it in my head as clear as day). It was Mom’s way of telling us that no matter what, she would be there for us…
“And through the years, I will be a friend for always and forever. Call on me, and I’ll be there for you. I’m a friend who always will be true. And I love you, can’t you see, that I love you…honestly? I will never betray your trust in me.”
Celebrating birthdays without my parents is always a painful reminder of loss. The only comfort that I have is that they now get to spend them together.
Happy Birthday in heaven, Mom!
“Thanks for all you’ve done. I’ve missed you for so long. I can’t believe you’re gone. You still live in me…I carry the things that remind me of you…in loving memory of the one that was so true…honestly…”
ANDY CHEUNG – HRD Music Scout
ANTHRAX – “Madhouse” (1985)
After watching Joey Belladonna sing the National Anthem at the Chicago Cubs game recently, I couldn’t help but dig up the first Anthrax song that got me into the band. “Madhouse” was the first heavy tune by the band that made me buy their album Spreading the Disease, Fistful of Metal, and every album after that. Not only did this song make me love thrash metal, it also expanded my teenage mind to the genres of music that influenced them, namely hardcore and punk rock. The band is still going strong after all these years.
SACRED REICH – “Independent” (1993)
Speaking of American thrash bands, Sacred Reich is one of the underrated ones whose popularity peaked in the late-‘80s and early-‘90s. The well-written composition and production on “Independent” probably helped to establish the groove metal genre (along with bands like Pantera). In addition to their musical style, their lyrics were oftentimes political, with social commentary reflecting the times.
ROB DELL’AQUILA – HRD Music Scout
SHADOW GALLERY – “Roads Of Thunder” (1998)
Shadow Gallery is a progressive metal band out of Pennsylvania that has been producing quality music since the mid-‘80s (when they were originally known as Sorcerer). This piece, with its driving arrangements and passionate vocals, comes from their 1998 album, Tyranny. Lead singer Mike Baker would die unexpectedly 10 years later, but the band continues with new singer Brian Ashland.
SILENT VOICES – “The Fear Of Emptiness” (2013)
Silent Voices is a progressive metal band out of Finland. They’ve gone through numerous lineup changes since their 1995 inception, but hit upon a winning combination with their 2013 album, Reveal The Change, introducing new vocalist Teemu Koskela (Winterborn).
CHRIS HERZEGOVITCH – HRD Music Scout
STEVE VAI – “For The Love Of God” (1990)
Steve Vai (Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth, Whitesnake, G3) evokes emotion and passion like few other guitarists. His unique sound and style are unmistakable – he can make the instrument laugh, weep, scream and even speak (“Yankee Rose”). A great quote from one of the editors of Guitar World magazine sums up his amazing talent: “Steve Vai’s guitar wizardry is so profound that, in earlier times, he would have been burned as a witch.” “For the Love of God” is a terrific slower-tempo instrumental that boasts a fantastic melody and many of his guitar techniques. The tune comes from Passion & Warfare, his most popular solo effort.
PEGAZUS – “Road Warrior” (2011)
Australian power metal band Pegazus began cranking out music back in 1993. “Road Warrior” is an anthem that is has an obvious theme and a definitive rough-cut, aggressive style. Solid melodic vocals (Justin Fleming) supported by thundering rhythm (Ange “Vuggs” Sotiro and Cory Betts) and excellent lead guitar work (Johnny Stoj). This track comes from their last album in 2011, In Metal We Trust. They are still active today, but have retooled the entire lineup (with the exception of Johnny Stoj).
Leave a Reply