MUSIC DISCOVERY MONDAY – 9/11/17
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/Editor, Hard Rock Daddy)
DREAM THEATER – “Fatal Tragedy” (9/11/01) – Live Scenes From New York
Synchronicity. It’s a powerful concept, one that many probably have heard of because of The Police’s 1983 album, which featured their biggest hit, “Every Breath You Take.”
You might be wondering what any of this has to do with Dream Theater, or today’s featured song. Understandable. To make the connection, you must first take into account what day it is today…the 16th anniversary of 9/11. You also may be wondering why I’m featuring music from 2001 on Music Discovery Monday, since this column is about new releases.
Because I experienced 9/11 in an up-close-and-personal way (click here for full story), treating Music Discovery Monday in a business-as-usual manner just didn’t feel right to me. Getting back to synchronicity…
The word is defined as…“the simultaneous occurrence of events that appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection.”
When New York’s Dream Theater made the decision to release a live album entitled Live Scenes From New York – which included a song entitled “Fatal Tragedy” – on 9/11/01, there was no way that they could have predicted what would be happening on the same day.
Though totally unrelated, the connection is eerily haunting just the same.
“Fatal Tragedy” starts out with a majestic, upbeat vibe, like a breath of fresh air that you joyfully inhale into your lungs. The songs starts out in the same manner that 9/11/01 did in NYC. I distinctly recall taking note of the sky being as blue as I had ever seen it. I didn’t know at the time that it was actually the calm before the storm, or that it would be that last clean breath that many of us would take for many months to come near Ground Zero.
As the song progresses, in true Dream Theater fashion, you are taken in many different directions. Often times frenetic with an adrenaline pumping pace, the transition mirrors the chaos that would ensue in New York City after the second tower was hit. We can all appreciate the gravity of the situation, but living it firsthand gives me a perspective that I wish I didn’t have.
Just after the 10-year anniversary, drummer Mike Portnoy discussed the bizarre 9/11 coincidence with Noisecreep in this article. It is something that you should definitely check out to gain some valuable insight.
BIOHAZARD – “Uncivilization” (9/11/01)
In all candor, the reason that Biohazard’s “Uncivilization” was chosen to be featured alongside Dream Theater is because of the connection to 9/11. Another band hailing from New York, Biohazard released an album with a song that seems relative to what was to happen on that fateful, tragic day.
Although I do like Biohazard’s music, that title track off of the band’s sixth studio album is not my musical taste. However, the lyrical content and synchronicity of the connection to 9/11 is compelling.
What was supposed to be a day of celebration for the members of the band turned into a surreal nightmare. Click here to read the interview that was featured in the Washington Post just a few short months after the 9/11 tragedy.
ANDY CHEUNG – HRD Music Scout
BRENDON SMALL’S GALAKTIKON – “My Name Is Murder”
Fans of Dethklok will rejoice at the arrival of Brendon Small’s new Galaktikon album, Galaktikon II: Become the Storm. The show Metalocalypse no longer exists, but the music lives on. Not only is he the creator of the show, but he also composed all of the music for his second album. Boasting the talents of Bryan Beller on bass and the almighty Atomic Clock himself, Gene Hoglan, the album thrashes just as much (if not more) than a lot of “real” metal bands nowadays. If only he could tour behind this album…
PARADISE LOST – “The Longest Winter”
Who else (besides me) misses Type-O-Negative? I was a huge Type-O fan when they were around, and still am even though the band no longer existed after the death of frontman Peter Steele. Paradise Lost’s new single from their latest album, Medusa, reminds me a lot of Type-O’s sound and feel. Their fifteenth album to date, Paradise Lost’s sound is filled with doom-laden lyrics and imagery. One of the best goth metal pioneers of the genre, this band has consistently been cranking out great doom metal since 1988.
ROB DELL’AQUILA – HRD Music Scout
THRESHOLD – “Small Dark Lines”
British progressive metal band Threshold has just released their eleventh album, Legends of the Shires. From a band that’s been around nearly 30 years now, with a hard-earned reputation for quality material with no filler, this double-length concept album was eagerly awaited…and it delivers.
POWER QUEST – “Kings And Glory”
One year ago, I favorably reviewed a selection from this British power metal band’s three-song EP, as they returned after a hiatus with a new vocalist, Ashley Edison (Dendera), and a new guitarist, Dan Owen (ex-Hunted). Next month, they release Sixth Dimension (their first full-length album with the new lineup). I am happy to report that they are still sounding fantastic together.
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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