For some of us who dwell at the Classic Rock Penthouse, there’s not much that’s more exciting than the arrival of an email containing a link to something we’ve not heard before. This is why we run our Tracks Of The Week roundup every Friday. It’s an attempt to share that excitement, to celebrate those trying to do something new, and those applying a fresh lick of varnish to to something old.
Last week, the tracks that excited you the most were these…
3. Myles Kennedy - Haunted By Design
2. Aviator Shades - Be Somebody
1. Modern Earl - Gone To The Country
So congratulations to Modern Earl, who actually sent us their track via Facebook. If you’re in a band it’s always worth doing this with new tracks, as we are listening!
And don’t forget to vote for your favourite from this week’s selection.
Judas Priest - Firepower
Richie Faulkner has clearly breathed new life into the Priest, and everything we’ve heard from new album Firepower suggests it’s going to be a significant cut above Redeemer of Souls. This is the title track, and there’s more than a hint of Maiden about some of Rob Halford’s vocals, apart from the maniacal shrieking bits, which are PMG (Pure Metal God).
Stone Temple Pilots - Roll Me Under
The second track to emerge from Stone Temple Pilots since new singer Jeff Gutt came into the fold, Roll Me Under features about as many riffs as some bands come up with in an entire career. Gutt might not have the menace of Scott Weiland, but he hits all the right notes with some degree of panache.
Megadeth - Lying In State
“What we are witnessing is the decline of Western civilisation,” growls Megadave on this menacing, dystopian thrash. “Crushing our potential and piling it on, how will history portray us?” he goes on to ask. It’s a good question, and one we’re unable to answer, although the reference to Rust In Peace towards the climax of this somewhat alarming video may offer some clues.
Low Cut Connie - Beverly
This is a good song, with a slightly off-kilter piano introduction that eventually winds its way towards a chorus Elton John might have come up had he grown up in American dive bars rather than in leafy Middlesex. This comes from upcoming album Dirty Pictures (Part 2), the predictably-titled follow-up to Dirty Pictures (Part 1), one of Classic Rock’s favourite albums of 2017.
Buffalo Tom - Roman Cars
A band whose 90s success piggy-backed the grunge revolution without ever really being a part of it. Buffalo Tom’s new single Roman Cars is a typically wistful piece of rocking Americana that doesn’t quite reach the heights of Mineral or Tailights Fades, but does serve as a useful reminder of just what a good band they can be.
Tax The Heat - Change Your Position
Possibly the only outfit named after a Beatles song to play Download, Tax The Heat’s Change Your Position finds the band refusing to rely solely on the riff as a means to propel their career forward. So many bands neglect the chorus, but not The Heat, and CYP will have you singing along like a drunken reveller at the world’s booziest wedding.
FM - Make The Best Of What You Got
With an introduction that has an unexpected touch of Southern Rock about its gills, Make The Best Of What You Got soon finds itself on a more familiar footing, and quickly turns into a glistening slice of AOR that’s brighter than a freshly polished apple and twice as tasty.
The Damned - Standing On The Edge Of Tomorrow
There are many versions of The Damned, and this one is the gently psychedelic, gothic pop version of the band, with backing vocals that sound like monks chanting and a weird, scattershot drum beat. It all builds up into the kind if thing that might soundtrack an epic journey into the nether reaches of the solar system.
