I'm going to go visit my Dad in Othello today and won't be back until the 22nd, and I guess I have some butterflies about the whole thing, because I can't sleep at 4:00 am. So, I suppose I should talk about some of the latest and upcoming music releases.
Two weeks ago, the hit releases for me were The Dead Daisies with a new single, Michael Schenker's new album and Def Leppard's new album. Def Leppard showed off a variety of genres while still remaining glam rock and I look forward to how this album fits into the upcoming Stadium Tour with Motley Crue, Poison and Joan Jett. The Dead Daisies had a good hard rocking song with power house vocals by Glenn Hughes and power house guitar by Doug Aldrich. You also couldn't tell, but this single featured a slightly new lineup as Brian Tichy is the drummer again after leaving following the tour for the 2016 album. Michael Schenker had a powerful hard rock album with Ronnie Romero frequently on vocals, three tracks with Brian Tichy on drums and one track with Bob Daisley on bass. It was a tour de force with lyrics that wrestled with real world issues against an aggressive hard rock background and was great to listen to.
Last week, the great releases came from Iconic, Alan Parsons, VINCINT and Maggie Lindemann. Iconic had a slower rock ballad song, and with Michael Sweet songwriting, I'm pretty sure the "You" with whom Nathan James feels he can "take on the world" is God. This band's going to have a tough time showcasing spirituality considering how Michael showed such extreme hypocrisy in 2016, but the lyrics here are probably his best in that subject since "Always There For You" or "Saved by Love." Perhaps I can finally forgive, like God asks us to. Alan Parsons had a progressive rock-sounding single with Tommy Shaw of Styx on vocals, it sounds very late 1970s and rather Pink Floyd. VINCINT released a Hip-Hop/Pop single with guest singing from Hayley Kiyoko, which always feels good in Pride Month, as she is a lesbian who is very socially active in making sure her community can be heard in politics. It may not be much, but I like spending money on these artists' music to try to make a difference and encourage change. Maggie Lindemann is also LGBTQ+, though I forget what she identifies as and more remember her as "the girl who styled her hair after Ryuko from Kill la Kill on her album cover." It is a collaboration with Siiickbrain that is pure Alternative Rock with Heavy Drumbeats and synthesized swooping sounds, reminiscent of In This Moment and early Evanescence.
This week, Elton John is releasing a deluxe boxset of Madman across the Water, which featured "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters." Carrie Underwood's new album Denim and Rhinestones drops tonight as well and Demi Lovato and Switchfoot are both releasing singles. Kelly Clarkson also released a covers EP last night. Next week will see a release from Grey Daze, a second posthumous album featuring Chester Bennington's voice from recordings and demos he made while he was alive. Whitesnake's Greatest Hits album may be getting an MP3 release, and Iconic's album comes out that day, as well. It doesn't contain any brand new music, but I recently picked up Now That's What I Call Pride, and I liked it a lot, my only suggestion would've been to include Judas Priest.
I got the Fire Emblem Warriors; Three Hopes demo yesterday and am already almost half done with what's available. It's a different take on the story, to be sure, the shadowy antagonists Those Who Slither In The Dark make themselves known almost from the start, Monica is not among their ranks, but a friend and ally, you are not the teacher, but a fellow student, and, in general, the atmosphere seems more laid-back and less melancholy and depressed, nobody hates us or is putting up a front (that we know of for now, at least), which makes me think this one is based more on having a good time wrecking evil face and less on political commentary. We shall see when I buy the game proper next month (getting the demo took up enough space I can't download the game itself).
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