hard rock

Covering Your Tracks – 48

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The other day a Twitter friend posted a song I hadn’t heard in a long, long time. Which then led me down a rabbit-hole of other songs I hadn’t heard in a while. One such song was “Lunatic Fringe” by Red Rider. It is a good song. (As an side, it is fucking weird to me that, after not hearing a song for 22 years, you can listen to it again, and know every word. The brain is wild, man). So, because I love ’em, I wanted to see if anyone had covered the track. Turns out, a few folks did.

Lunatic Fringe is a “Oh, that’s That Song by That Band” type track. You know it. It is unique to its time, and is distinct enough in sound that covering it, without changing it would be pointless. It would only sound like a knockoff original. You gotta add something. Enter, Cross Solder (it doesn’t appear there’s been much Cross Solder action since 2015).

They do, what this listener thinks, a pretty good job of keeping the original structure, but add some serious weight, and a subtle twang to the track. The end result is true to the original, but adds something modern.

Listen up;

Top Albums February 2-February 8 2021

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  1. Dizzy Mizz Lizzy – Alter Echo (5)
  2. Crystal Viper – The Cult (4)
  3. Def Leppard – On Through the Night (3)
  4. George Lynch/Jeff Pilson – Heavy Hitters (3)
  5. Iced Earth – Tribute To the Gods (3)

Top Albums January 26-February 1 2021

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  1. Jason Bieler And The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra – Songs For the Apocalypse (10)
  2. Crooked Ways – Time To Panic (8)
  3. Diamond Head – Lightning to the Nations (6)
  4. Collective Soul – 7 Year Itch (5)
  5. Illusionary Reality – liquify (5)

Time To Panic

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Crroked Ways - Time To PanicReleased in February 2020, TIME TO PANIC is the debut album from Lehigh Valley, PA band Crooked Ways. It is something.

Do you, like this listener, like 80s metal, but felt it was too subtle? Crooked Ways removes all subtlety. Snappy guitars made snappier, fast percussion made faster, and with about 148% more swagger. Just take a listen to Slick van Ryker to hear a crystalline example of a modernized 80s metal sound.

The whole album is a blender of post-grunge, late 80s and modern metal, with a wink to the 70s and a nod to djent. All this delivered with a “fuck you, I am invincible” smirk. It even has what would be, on any 80s metal album ever, a power ballad in the track Fade.

So, lube up those neck muscles, drop TIME TO PANIC into the playlist and get ready.

TRACKLIST:

  • Sensation X
  • Another Kind of Sky
  • Slick van Ryker
  • Make It Pop
  • Second Stage
  • Fade
  • Sparrow
  • North Side Acid Trip
  • Inflamed
  • New Year’s Day

You can find Crooked Ways at bandcamp, Facebook, and wherever awesome music is sold.

Top Albums January 19-25 2021

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  1. Jason Bieler And The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra (9)
  2. Diamond Head (6)
  3. Queensryche (5)
  4. Wig Wam (5)
  5. Accept (4)

*a note; the image changes reflect the current week, regardless of listed listens on other posts