Martina McBride Concrete Angel Review

In all honesty, I am not the biggest fan of country music, especially of modern country.  I am a hard rock and metal fan and have been for most of my life.  However, one thing I have come to love and appreciate is a song that is from the heart.  A song that is well written and has a deep message.  Martina McBride has accomplished this many times, but one of her best, in my opinion, is “Concrete Angel”.  

Lyrically, the song is very deep and talks about the issue of child abuse.  Martina McBride wrote the lyrics in the form of a story of a girl who goes through life hiding her abuse or people seeing and ignoring it.  The lyrics take a dark turn by saying that the girls died in the final verse.  In chorus, tells us that fought through it while alive.  It then goes on to say that the girl has found happiness in Heaven.

Along with powerful lyrics,  Martina McBride has a beautiful voice that conveys the song’s message well.  I saw a YouTuber named “Too Sushi” who said her voice made the song sound like a lullaby and I honestly agree.  The soft melody is able to do both address the deep  message and give a song a bit of a calm feel.  

The music video for the song is amazing as well.  It illustrates the lyrics perfectly and Martina McBride’s look is amazing.  Her blue eyes really make you keep your attention on her.  It is not in the form of, (oh I look beautiful and sexy so look at me). It’s actually in the sense of,( I’ve got something to say, please listen).  When you look at her face and eyes, you can tell she’s being real and it sells the song that much better.

No matter what genre you listen to most, I can’t recommend this song enough.  It has a good, deep message, the music fits well, and Martina McBride’s voice really carries the song.  This is song is one that deserves a lot more attention and is one you really should check out.

Get Well Mina

I’ve said in the past that I have a soft spot for KPop and KPop artists even though rock and metal are more my style. I think their music is better then our current American pop and I think that should be recognized. Also, unlike a lot of American pop stars, they are overall kind hearted and well mannered.  They don’t take their success for granted and are grateful for their fame.  

I also have sympathy for them when I discover what they have to go through just to have a chance to debut.  It’s brutal and harsh what some of these KPop agencies do to their trainees.  Fortunately for Twice, their agency, JYP, appears to be looking out for them better then most others would.  Then there are the Knetz.

These so called fans can be vicious to KPop artists. Leaving nasty comments, being rude to them at fan events, threatening them, some cases trying to physically harm them. Through it all the KPop artists can just sit there and take it, hoping their agency might do something about it. Sadly more often then not, the agencies don’t do anything. 

Mina is a KPop idol who has been through a lot and I believe she, along with the rest of Twice, deserves her fame. I feel bad that she is currently suffering from extreme anxiety and stage fright that has caused her to miss out on the groups first world tour.  

Even with this happening, Knetz still go after her, some telling her to quit and go back to Japan.  One thing that’s good about rock and metal is the ability to call out unruly fans. Don’t get me wrong, pick and choose your battles wisely, otherwise you will look like the bad guy. However, when I see that KPop artists can’t call out unruly fans, it makes realize how much of a blessing it is that we can do that in the rock world.  

I hope that Mina gets well soon, grows stronger, and rejoins Twice stronger than ever

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Nocturnal Bloodlust Thank You Review

Nocturnal Bloodlust has been through a lot recently due to the departure of their ex guitarists Daichi and Cazqui.  After the two guitarists found out that employees at their record label were stealing money from them, they quit the band.  This left the band's future uncertain with many people fearing that they would disband.  Instead, they recruited guitarist, Lin, and recently put out their first song with the new guitarist, "Thank You".

I do like the opening riff that Lin plays in the beginning of the song.  It has a good heavy vibe and is a good way to kick off the song.  Natsu's drumming continues to be good in this song and really does a good job carrying the song through.  Hiro displays his usual combination of growling and melodic vocal work and it continues to be amazing.  However, even with all the good things, the loss of Daichi and Cazqui can be heard and felt in this song.  The lack of guitar solos and great lead lines that were always key things in the band's other songs are missing here and that really hurts the song.  As a result, the song ends up sounding more repetitive then the other songs have sounded in the past.  I've heard Lin doing some soloing in his other band, Abstracts, and he can indeed solo.  However,  he doesn't display any of that in this song and in a band that is so famous for epic guitar solos, you have to be able to deliver on that. I hope that he does that when the band releases their mini album, "Unleashed".

As far as the lyrics go, the band has returned to doing mainly Japanese lyrics as oppose the majority English lyrics they did on more recent songs.  Overall they do flow very well, especially in the chorus. As for the message, there has been a lot of controversy around the message.  This song is clearly a diss track and a lot of people think that it is towards Cazqui and Daichi.  While their names are never mentioned in the song, I can see why people would believe that this song is targeting them.  With lines like "spreading stealth marketing" and "behind your smile is full of deceit", it can give off the vibe that they are saying that Cazqui and Daichi are just trying to promote themselves while leaving the rest of the band behind.  Since they have written songs with these kind of lyrics in the past, I will give them the benefit of the doubt, as far as this song being directed towards the ex guitarists.  Whether it is directed towards the ex guitarists or not, I don't think that doing a diss track so soon after long time members have left the band was such a good idea, because it would only end up causing this kind of controversy. Instead, I think they should of done something like they did with "Deep Inside" where the song would basically be about rising above the pain and soldering on.  It would of had a more positive feel and fans would be more united around a message like that.  The lyrics are not written badly, but I think the theme and message is bad timing.

I said at one point in time that no one in Nocturnal Bloodlust could be replaced and sadly I still feel that way with Thank You.  The song is not bad, but it doesn't feel like a Nocturnal Bloodlust song.  It doesn't have the same level of technicality and power that Daichi and Cazqui brought when they were in the band.  Also, the fact that there is no guitar solo when Lin has proven he is capable of soloing hurts the song as well.  Lin has a lot to compete with in this band and I do hope he succeeds in the future with this band, as I do with all the members, including Cazqui and Daichi.  I give Thank You a 3 out of 5.      

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Charamel A Strange Band

I have come across many strange rock and metal bands in my time but few compare to the likes of Charamel.  This band displays what is called a Yuru Chara look. Yuru Chara is basically mascot looking characters except more diverse and can represent anything from video games to corporations to even creatures in mythology.   Another thing that is interesting is how anonymous they are.  There really isn't much info out there about this band other then their character names and the instruments they play.  As far as who they are under the costumes remains a mystery to this day.  The members consist of Nyango Star, the red cat apple on drums, Funassyi, the pear fairy on vocals, Akkuma, the demon bear on guitar, and Kapal, the water goblin on bass.  

This band's story starts when music publicist, Eric Alper, posted a video on twitter titled, "When You're Over Qualified For The Job".  This video displayed Nyango Star displaying some awesome drum skills and as a result, the video wen't viral with tons of retweets thus began Nyango Star's career.  Nyango Star would start a youtube channel covering many metal classics such as "Before I Forget" from Slipknot, "Faint" by Linkin Park, and "Raining Blood" from Slayer.   

Aside from his videos, he would also play at conventions and collaborate with other Japanese rock bands.  He would even gain the attention of X Japan drummer, Yoshiki.  Yoshiki had Nyango Star play some famous X Japan songs for him and Yoshiki was very impressed with his skills on drums as seen below.  

Somewhere down the road he met the rest of the band and they teamed up to create Charamel.  They debuted with their song, " Funnasy" in 2017 and have since gone on to develop a cult following in Japan and thanks to Nyango Star, the bands popularity continues to grow.  They would even get to perform at the famed Tokyo Dome in 2018.  

I must admit that this band has grown on me with time. While I'm not a fan of the look, I have to admit that these musicians are good at their instruments.  I have looked up some of their live shows and I got to say, the fact that whoever is in those costumes and play their instruments pretty well, while in those costumes, is very impressive. Some people complain about the vocals, but that's clearly part of this band's shtick and I have never found it annoying to the point that I had to turn a song off or not enjoy it.

I would also like to point out Akkuma's guitar playing.  Akkuma plays some great rock and metal riffs that I find myself wanting to headbang to.  Even though he is not the most famous member in this band, he is a good guitar player and I think deserves more attention than he currently has in the band.  

Even though these guys are far from the traditional rock band, I still recommend checking them out.  Their music is good and the fact that they can perform as well as they do  in those costumes is something to be admired.  We don't know much about them currently but in time that will change I'm sure. Until then, all we can do is enjoy the music.     

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Love and Death Meltdown Review

Brian Head Welch made a name for himself during his time as one of the guitarists for Korn in the 90s.  During that time he helped the band compose some of their biggest songs and became very distinct in the band.  However, he also became addicted to drugs and left the band.  During his rehabilitation and recovery from drug addiction he became a devout christian and would go on to form his own band called Love and Death.  One of the songs that helped that band gain traction in the christian metal scene was Meltdown

You defiantly hear the Korn influences in this song when it comes to the music, especially in the vocals.  Welch uses very quiet, eerie vocals in the verses that remind me of songs like Evolution and Freak on a Leash.  The music echoes that quiet eerie feel before we head into a heavy pre chorus.  We then head into a big chorus. This formula continues through the entire song, with the exception of a short bridge.  My favorite part of the song is  without a doubt the chorus.  It has good energy and the music matches the tone of the song perfectly.  The music isn't very technical and not to tricky which overall works for the song.  The one thing I wish they did though is instead of doing that short bridge with heavy, distorted guitar, I wish they did a deep sounding guitar solo that would work with the message and feel of the song.  I feel like that would of got the point across more effectively then the simple heavy guitar that is there instead. 

The lyrics in this song are pretty straight to the point.  They are about someone in pain, feeling like breaking down, and calling out for help.  I do like songs that address the pain that people feel, because I feel that songs like that give people a way to vent their pain.  People can also relate to songs like these because everybody goes through pain through out their lives and when you have so much music that is shallow feel good music, it is nice to see someone willing to go deep.  The message is clearly about someone's mental state when they are in pain.  Overall the lyrics do a good job of getting the message across, I do they they could be written to flow a little bit better, but it is a minor problem and it doesn't kill the song for me.

The song has a good deep message that isn't talked about much in mainstream music and I do like it when bands and artists do these kind of songs.  The music is overall good, but i do think the bridge could of been improved with a guitar solo instead of heavy guitar.  However, the music is effective overall.  I also think the lyrics are good as well.  I give Meltdown a 3 out of 5.

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Dokken Burning Like a Flame Reiew

When it comes to the 80's metal scene, you could argue that Dokken was one of the best bands from that era.  With the great vocal work of Don Dokken and the amazing guitar skills of George Lynch, you have a band destined to go places.  These two men did not get a long well, but that didn't stop them from being able to make good music together for a decade. Dokken was one first bands that introduced me to 80s and the first song I heard from them was Burning Like a Flame.

Musically, this is one of the bands more simpler songs for sure.  The rhythm is more simple and George Lynch's playing isn't over the top like in other songs.  Instead of trying to be fast and technical, Lynch is more simple and melodic and it actually works.  The melodic guitar solo sounds pretty good and works well with the layout of the song.  Don Dokken sounds good in this song as well.  The man is a good singer and he continues to display great vocal skills in this song.  Overall, a simple but still fun to listen to.

Lyrically, there isn't anything ground breaking.  Like many other songs that came out of the 80's metal scene, this is a song about woman.  To the band's credit, there are more relationship based points in this song and not just of focus on wanting sex like most other songs.  However, elements of the sex message are still there in lines such as "cause every time I touch you, you just make me go insane".  Having said that, the lyrics are written well and Don Dokken does a great job singing them.  

While I certainly do like this song, I do admit that it isn't their best, especially when you listen to other songs such as Breaking The Chains, In My Dreams, and Dream Warriors.  However, this is still a solid song and I think it is worth checking out.  I give Burning Like a Flame a 3.5 out of 5.  

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Coldrain Envy Review

I remember hearing this band for the first time when I came across their song We're Not Alone.  I thought the song was pretty good and it caused me to listen to the band from time to time.  Little by little the band grew on me and I got more into them.  However, it wouldn't be until Envy that I really got into this band.

Right at the beginning, the song hooked me with the intro.  The guitar riff, the drums, and the energy at the beginning of the song is amazing.  Sugi starts the song off with that cool opening riff that carries the intro.  Then YKC plays a pretty awesome guitar solo half way through that leads to a heavy verse.  Here, the guitar work continues to be heavy and energetic and to match that energy, Masato busts out some heavy screaming vocals.  The chorus is pretty good as well, this is where the clean vocals take over and it carries the entire chorus.  The bridge is more slow and softer on the energy, but it does fit in to the song very well and doesn't feel out of place.  The ending of this song is a great way to end the song.  YKC busts out a good solo and Masato supports the him by adding some vocal work that operates more as background rather then the main focus.  This guitar solo isn't super technical or over the top, but it sounds good and it really works well with the tone of the music. When it comes to the music, this song is solid.  

The lyrics in the song are good to vent to if you are angry at someone and feel they have wronged you.  The lyrics are about someone who is in a feud with someone the person thought was a friend and then the person feels that the friend betrayed them and now they don't get along. The lyrics flow well I didn't feel like any lines were out of place or unneeded.  I also like this message because it is something that everyone can relate to.  Everyone feels that they have been betrayed by someone at one point in their life and they need someway to let that anger out.  I think this song is a healthy way to let the anger out without getting mad at the wrong person of picking the wrong battle to fight with the person who wronged you.  

Weather you are a metal head, a rocker, or angry and need some way to vent, this is a song you should check out.  With really good music that makes you want to head bang and lyrics that helps you vent your anger, this one solid song.  Coldrain was already gaining momentum in Japan and world wide, but this song gained them a lot of traction and rightfully so.  I give Envy a 4.5 out of 5.     

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