Music Discovery Monday – 12/12/16
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.
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)
RIK EMMETT & RESOLUTION 9 – “Human Race” (f. Alex Lifeson)
When you think of Canadian power trios, the first band that comes to mind for most is Rush. For me, it’s always been Rush and Triumph, two bands that I love equally for different reasons. So, when I saw that Alex Lifeson and Rik Emmett were collaborating, I was immediately intrigued.
It’s been almost three decades since the release of the last Triumph album with the original lineup (Surveillance). One of the albums that has remained a personal favorite to this day is 1986’s The Sport Of Kings. The album had an uplifting, melodic vibe that doesn’t really exist much these days.
“Human Race” is not only nostalgic for me because of the marriage between Triumph and Rush, but also because this song takes me back to the sound of the The Sport Of Kings album.
When discussing “Human Race,” Emmett stated…
“I’ve been around the block a few times, and one of the things that I like about the lyrics in ‘Human Race’ is when we get to the last verse, where it says ‘I am still this guy. I still live this. There’s also a line in there about a raising joyful noise – and I still want to do that too.”
Lifeson, who added 12-string guitar work to the song, added…
“When Rik asked me to play on this new album, I didn’t hesitate for a second. He’s the consummate musician, a wonderful guitarist, and a terrific person. It’s always been my pleasure to play with him any chance I can get.”
For those like me who are big fans of Triumph and Rush, this is a great gift for the holiday season.
RIK EMMETT & RESOLUTION 9 (f. James LaBrie & Alex Lifeson) – “End Of The Line”
Alex Lifeson also made a guest appearance on RESolution 9’s “End Of The Line” (alongside Dream Theater’s James LaBrie). This song has a heavier, edgier groove than “Human Race,” blending a classic ‘70s rock sound with the sweet sound of Emmett’s signature vocals. The song is perfectly complemented by a mesmerizing lyric video, which takes you on a virtual train ride through a tunnel that gives it a psychedelic effect.
“End Of The Line” is a nice surprise that takes you on an unexpected journey, given that it is not the norm for any of the legends playing on the track (including Emmett).
Like Emmett and Lifeson, LaBrie also hails from Canada. He shared his thoughts about being asked to contribute on this album…
“I’ve been extremely blessed and fortunate to meet so many great musicians and beautiful people throughout my career, and to have the opportunity to record with some of them is really the icing on the cake. What a thrill it was to record with Rik, who is such an incredible musician and overall down-to-earth cool guy.”
“End Of The Line” brings to mind the saying…“it doesn’t have to be old to be classic.”
ANDY CHEUNG – HRD Music Scout
VIMIC – “She Sees Everything”
Ever wonder what Joey Jordison has been doing since he departed from Slipknot? Look no further. A series of songs have been released from Vimic (Jordison’s new band) from their upcoming album, Open Your Omen. The songs are a good mix of Jordison’s thrash/fast double bass drumming with a more classic metal feel. It’s always refreshing to see a band member from one genre of metal release an album with a very different sound. First, Corey Taylor traded in his death screams in Slipknot for melodic singing and vocal phrasing in Stone Sour. Now Jordison has done it with Vimic. It’s a far cry from Slipknot, but if you’re a fan of Jordison’s, you’ll be glad to hear his drumming again in his new band.
DEVILDRIVER – “Daybreak”
Devildriver’s seventh studio album, Trust No One, is classic Devildriver at their best. For those not familiar with Devildriver, the band is fronted by Coal Chamber’s Dez Fafara. The songs on this album are brutally aggressive that groove in the right way with their new addition of Chimaira’s drummer Austin D’Amond. The lyrics are full of death, destruction and drips of desolation and despair while the music backing those lyrics are equally evil sounding. Fans of the band and the groove metal genre will not be disappointed.
ROB DELL’AQUILA – HRD Music Scout
DARIO MOLLO’S CROSSBONES – “Gates of Time”
I’ve reviewed the work of songwriter/guitarist Dario Mollo before as part of his collaborations with Tony Martin (ex-Black Sabbath) on the three Cage albums, and with Glenn Hughes (Black Country Communion, Deep Purple, California Breed) as part of Voodoo Hill. Here, Mollo pays tribute to his very first band, Crossbones, which was formed in 1981 and released its first studio album in 1989. He brings back original drummer Ezio Secomandi, together with Dario Patti on bass and keyboards and Carl Sentance (Nazareth, Don Airey Band, Krokus) on vocals.
BONEYARD DOG – “Lonely Room”
Vocalist Rob Mancini (Hotwire, Crush) and guitarist Davy Kerrigan team with drummer Ron Wikso (Foreigner, The Storm, Eddie Money) and keyboardist Tony Carey (ex-Rainbow) to produce classic rock with a strong blues influence. They formed the band Boneyard Dog barely a year ago, and have recently released their debut album, Bluesbound Train. They’ve crafted some fine tunes and have guest appearances from Marc Lynn (Gotthard), John Pratt (Firefly), and Neil Murray (Whitesnake).
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
Is it hard to get on mdm cause I have sent 2 and got no reply, thanks just wondering, would like to see locust grove on there, anti mortem guitar players new band.
Hi Joseph. Did you send the submissions under a different name? I don’t see any from you in the cue.