Soundgarden – Spoonman

Good feelings, good vibes

Soundgarden is rock band formed in 1984. They are known to be one of the leading acts of the 90s Seattle music scene and are considered to be the grandfathers of grunge music. Their music has personally affected my life in a lot of ways and Chis Cornell’s sudden tragic death in 2017 caught me off-guard. Here is one of their best songs: Spoonman from the album “Superunknown”.

According to the man himself, the song is about Artis the Spoonman, a musician, who makes music using spoons as an instrument. The underlying sentiment, however, is that rhythm and music have healing properties. How music plays a huge role in our lives and how we must embrace it.

Spoonman is a song with a great, positive vibe and good feelings. You can use it to rock your socks-off, or to simply lay-back and relax for a moment.

 

 

Linkin Park feat. Jay Z – Points of Authority/99 Problems/One Step Closer

Rhymes & Screams

 

Linkin Park are one of the leading acts in the Nu-metal scene. They have been around since the late 90s and continue making music today, even after lead vocalist Chester Bennigton’s death in 2017. During their career they have collaborated with numerous artists and even made a whole mashup album called “Collision Course” with east-coast rap legend Jay-Z.

The best song from that album is in my opinion “Points of Authority/99 Problems/One Step Closer”. It is a great combination of Jay-z’s rapping and Linkin Park’s great rock/electronica style. I was amazed at how good the final product turned out to be. That, of course, shouldn’t be a surprise, because bands like Rage Against The Machine and Body Count are the evidence that rap and rock blend perfectly.

Jay-Z’s harsh lyrics, Mike Shinoda’s amazing flow, Chester Bennington’s primal screams and the violent guitars all come together to form one bad-ass rocking song. I would recommend this song to all rock and hip-hop fans: it’s a treat you will definitely enjoy!

 

Bad Wolves – Zombie (Cover)

A beautiful take on a classic song with an original twist

Side Note:

Hello guys! My name is Chris and this is my first ever post on this (little) blog. I am an avid lover of rock and metal music, especially the more alternative genres. I will use this blog is to share my views and opinions regarding various topics in the rock and metal community. My goal is to let people discover new music, to review songs/albums based on my personal opinion, to share news regarding the rock/metal world or to simply express my sincere thoughts about certain issues and topics.

“Zombie” is thrilling song about the violent consequences of warfare originally written by the Irish alternative rock-band “The Cranberries”. Following the death of Cranberries lead vocalist Dolores O’Riordan, the American metal band “Bad Wolves” delivered a haunting cover of the iconic song.

The song itself is not much different than the original classic, in terms of video concept and song-structure. They both follow the same melody and the videos are very similiar, with Bad Wolves taking a more minimalistic approach, although with much better production quality. The cover was originally supposed to be sung along with Dolores herself, but she unfortunately died on the date of the scheduled recording, making the cover much more powerfull altogether.

In terms of lyrics, there is a slight difference, changing the meaning of the Cranberries’ 90s song and adapting it to the present day: “with their tanks and their bombs and their guns and their drones” or “it’s the same old theme in 2018”. The musical style is also a little bit different: Bad Wolves use a more heavy-metal inspired sound with more down-tuned guitars and heavier vocals, while the Cranberries use a more mellow style with heavy guitars and powerful vocals but also combining that melancholic feel of the grunge era.

Dolores O’Riordan was an iconic figure in the rock and pop world. Her lyrics inspired many to think outside the box to take action when you are in danger. She was an intelligent and powerful woman and believed in great causes. The 15th of january 2018 was definitely a huge loss for the rock stage and music in general. RIP Dolores O’Riordan.

All in all, I personally think that the new Bad Wolves cover of “Zombie” was absolutely fantastic. The lyrics, the video, the vocals, the intstrumentals were on point, giving the classic song a more modern feel, while still respecting the original composition. The song takes me on a nostalgic trip to a darker time in my past, when life was easier yet harder. I would recommend in to anyone interested in seeing something different.