Hello
degenerates, heathens, weirdos, and deviants. I am the Rock Otaku, and
I’m here to show you worlds such as hard rock, metal, punk, alternative rock,
movies, TV, anime, video games, and anything that makes us scream, shout, and
let it all out.
Welcome
to my Rockin’ Billboard Chart Watch.
Here, I take a break from reviewing classic heavy metal albums, movies,
TV, anime, games, and so on to review what is popular in the rock scene
according to Billboard. Back in the late
19th century, the magazine started as a news source for the
entertainment industry back in the day (thus, circuses, fairs, and burlesque
shows were covered), then, when music became a big business, it started
covering music. Then they started having
an album chart, then a singles chart, in the mid-20th century, both
of which are still going on to this very day, with changes to accommodate the
changes in the landscape of music distribution.
But for the rock stuff, the first chart, which would be known today as
the Mainstream Rock chart, debuted on March 21, 1981, with the Alternative
Songs chart following suit in 1988, the Adult Alternative chart premiering some
time in 2008, then the all-encompassing Hot Rock Songs chart came to fruition
in 2009. Here, I review them all, in
order of either mainstream importance, date of creation, or which songs have
the most material I can cover each week.
While
I may not completely discuss all 4 of those, I will provide my thoughts on this
week’s charts. However, due to how I
originally did things, and how this is a different ball game, I am going to be
seriously late with this one. But don’t
you fret, I’ll provide some of my smooth commentary on the new tracks that came
out for each chart. For the older ones,
I plan on doing catch-up specials, where I discuss earlier weeks in 2017 for
these charts and determine what my thoughts were for each chart. So for today, I’ll provide my two cents for
the songs that came out for Billboard’s February 11, 2017 versions of the Hot
Rock Songs, Alternative Songs, and Mainstream Rock songs in that order. As for Adult Alternative, that would be more
of a special moment if there’s a song everybody reading these things wants me
to praise or tear into. Plus I plan on
having an alternation between these three charts and the Japan Hot 100 next
week (which I should start ahead of time).
As a result, don’t get angry if this feels late. I am learning from this process alongside you
all.
Now
for the Hot Rock Songs, in order of highest position to lowest, with reviews
for new tracks:
1. Heathens – twenty one pilots (1 last
week): tired of it
2. Ride – twenty one pilots (2 last week):
May review next time if I get 10 views for this entry
3. HandClap – Fitz And The Tantrums (4
last week): don’t like
4. Unsteady – X Ambassadors (3 last week):
really don’t like
5. Way Down We Go – Kaleo (6 last week):
good
6. Sucker For Pain – Lil Wayne, Wiz
Khalifa & Imagine Dragons With Logic & Ty Dolla $ign Feat. X
Ambassadors (5 last week): meh
7. Love On The Weekend – John Mayer (14
last week): May review next time if I get 20 views for this entry.
8. Moving On And Getting Over – John Mayer
(new):
Let’s
start the new reviews with an artist that I feel may not be as salvageable as
most artists due to his first impression on us.
For John Mayer, while there’s a sense that his musical style has evolved
into a more bluesy rock style that showcases how surprisingly good of a
guitarist while having a stronger sense of melody than ever. But where I can see issues with him is how he
started: as one of those frat boys with acoustic guitars that we do this to:
 |
| You know these guys. |
And
the worst part? His lyrics may have
improved a bit to match his main style, but they have a long way to go on the
relatability part. Not to say that he
has to be an otaku metalhead to make me like him, but he’s both too relatable
and too processed for mass appeal. What
I mean is that he’s rather plain enough that you can relate to him, but so
shallow that there’s a lingering sense that he was created to appeal to
30-something single women who are not the kind to get a man easily. And he’s also kind of a jerk outside of
music.
Does
that sour this track for me? Does that
mean that I’ll dislike this light-blues rocker in the coming future? Does that mean I’ll not enjoy the aspects
that do work like the guitar tone, licks, and solo? Stay Tuned.
But for now, this is a nice sounding meh song.
9. Ophelia – The Lumineers (7 last week):
May review next time if I get 30 views for this entry.
10. You're Gonna Live Forever In Me – John
Mayer (new):
Another
John Mayer song? Seriously, did he
release something earlier this year? A
comment on the YouTube link above said something about Toy Story. And hearing this? I think it would fit too well. I would rather stick with Randy Newman or
another talented artist (or more talented than Randy Newman) making songs for
the Toy Story franchise. Especially with
a sequel coming out that I am not excited for (Because 3 was a great
ending). But for the song, it’s just
piano and whistling and John Mayer’s vocals trying to sound higher, where I
feel that his more unlikeable aspects come into play. It’s a nice sounding song overall, and I get
the lyrical aspects being about him telling someone that might be dead or
broken up with him (the song may be better, though uncomfortable, if it was the
former, but worse and unsalvageable if it was the latter). But I don’t see me listening to this often
(even within metal and hard rock, the ballads are soft enough for a breather).
11. Chain Breaker – Zach Williams (9 last week):
May review next time if I get 40 views for this entry
12. Changing – John Mayer (new):
So
the melody may be the best of his songs, but the fact that John Mayer, John
freaking Mayer, is charting this high is a sign to me that even the rock scene
is taking Ritalin. Seriously, the songs
he has on this chart are too mellow to avoid comparisons to his earlier, unlikeable
material. This may have more energy than
“You’re Gonna Live Forever In Me,” but it’s not something I’d listen to over
and over again unless it’s in a crazy mix playlist (and even then, hair,
anison, and j-pop ballads do the trick better for me). It’s not completely unsalvageable, as it has
a good bluesy guitar solo in the bridge.
And the song is about the passage of time (I think, if not, then someone
is getting keelhauled), so there’s that.
Of the new arrivals, this is not the most remarkable.
13. Still Breathing – Green Day (12 last
week): good
14. Somebody Else – The 1975 (11 last week):
like it
15. Cleopatra – The Lumineers (16 last week):
May review next time if I get 50 views for this entry
16. Heavydirtysoul – twenty one pilots (13
last week): May review next time if I get 60 views for this entry
17. Take It All Back – Judah & The Lion
(17 last week): meh
18. Human – Rag'n'Bone Man (20 last week):
May review next time if I get 70 views for this entry
19. Waste A Moment – Kings Of Leon (15 last
week): like it
20. Not Easy – Alex Da Kid Featuring X
Ambassadors, Elle King & Wiz Khalifa (10 last week): May review next time
if I get 80 views for this entry
21. My Name Is Human – Highly Suspect (18
last week): amazing
22. She's Out Of Her Mind – Blink-182 (21
last week): good
23. On Hold – The xx (8 last week): May
review next time if I get 90 views for this entry
24. Testify – NEEDTOBREATHE (26 last week):
May review next time if I get 100 views for this entry
25. With I Knew You – The Revivalists (31
last week): May review next time if I get 110 views for this entry
26. Sleep On The Floor – The Lumineers (27
last week): May review next time if I get 120 views for this entry
27. How Did You Love – Shinedown (22 last
week): Good
28. Square Hammer – Ghost (28 last week):
Great
29. Go Robot – Red Hot Chili Peppers (34 last
week): Good
30. Wild Horses – Bishop Briggs (30 last
week): May review next time if I get 130 views for this entry
31. Talk Too Much – COIN (33 last week): May
review next time if I get 140 views for this entry
32. Monster – Starset (46 last week): Great
33. I Give You Power – Arcade Fire Featuring
Mavis Staples (new):
If
there’s a confession I can make here, I never got into Arcade Fire. Now that most of you may want to crucify me,
let me also say that this song is alright.
Its issues come from being more of a dark, depressing EDM-sounding song
rather than a rock song (even with their weird instrumentation), and that it
sounds like a rip of Kanye West’s “Gold Digger.” Not to say that sounding like Kanye is a bad
idea, but sounding less like him might remind me less of that BBC interview he
did (you know the one). Another artist
it somehow reminds me of is Black Eyed Peas with their song “Boom Boom Pow,”
and reminding me of that mess is grounds for this being your ultimate fate:
Yes,
I am not impressed with this song. And
my disinterest in Arcade Fire continues, and this may have turned me off of
Mavis Staples for a while. There isn’t
much else to say here.
34. Atlas, Rise! – Metallica (35 last week):
Great
35. Loser – Falling In Reverse (new):
Finally,
something I can review. Sleazy hard rock
from Hot Topic-friendly artists. This is
going to be fun. Where most sleazy hard
rock bands can be saved by the musicians supporting the singer, said singer is
usually the make-or-break moment. And
this guy is such a whiny, depressed, pathetic singer that I can only see him
singing about he’s at the bottom of the desirability totem pole rather than the
top. And considering this guy was kicked
out of Escape the Fate for something other than being the titular loser
of this song, that’s saying something.
But that doesn’t mean this song DOESN’T put me in a good mood. The reason is because the musical
performance, no matter how generic and slathered in electronics it is, is loud,
aggressive, and musically interesting enough that I can separate the singer
from the rest of the band and be react to him in the appropriate manner:
Despite
the surprisingly great guitar solo, this is the singer to me:
And
yes, not even Anchor Arms can make him less of a wimp. Even Natsuru Senō is tougher
than this wimp. He doesn’t deserve the
attention of Revolver, he belongs here with Anakin Skywalker:
 |
| Burn! |
 |
| We think you got the wrong place for Ronnie Radke. He belongs next door with Kylo Ren. |
 |
| ...And I am not a weenie. Neither was my dear grandfather. |
Talk
about pathetic. Too bad this song was
more enjoyable than what premiered on the chart above it due to how bad it
is. This is the bad I can listen to, so
expect this on the dishonorable mentions list for the worst of 2017. Enjoy the praise, Falling In Reverse, you’ll
need it.
As
for why I didn’t use the opportunity to make fun of SJWs here, here’s my thoughts on them:
 |
| And neither should you. |
36. Fire Escape – Andrew McMahon In The
Wilderness (40 last week): May review next time if I get 150 views for this
entry
37. All The Pretty Girls – Kaleo (39 last
week): May review next time if I get 160 views for this entry
38. Hot Thoughts – Spoon (new):
An
opportunity to make this reference?
Yay!
As
for the song, it’s pure indie rock fluff.
Not as lame as Arcade Fire or as hilarious as Falling In Reverse, but
surprisingly groovy. At least there’s
some sort of drive and momentum this time around; I thought I would groan or
laugh throughout these. The electronics
provide a sense of atmosphere here, which is what they’re SUPPOSED to do in my
mind. The drums feel authentic even if
they may be electronic. There is a
strong bassline. The guitars are pretty
good here, mixing jangling chords with rock star lines. There’s also a sense that the lyrics deal
with the sort of crazy thoughts that come at moments when they make the most
sense, while dealing with false love.
But before things get too weird, I can say that the vocal performance is
great here. Top material, and I hope
this can make the top of the chart. I’d
prefer harder rock, but sometimes, you need a good sound to get my attention
and praise.
If
you’re wondering how the name of the band came to be:
I
love making references to The Tick.
39. Cocoon – Milky Chance (45 last week): May
review next time if I get 170 views for this entry
40. Cancer – twenty one pilots (38 last week):
May review next time if I get 180 views for this entry
41. Stars – Skillet (47 last week): May
review next time if I get 190 views for this entry
42. Shine – Mondo Cozmo (48 last week): May
review next time if I get 200 views for this entry
43. 7 – Catfish And The Bottlemen
(returning):
A
returning entry? The wonders of
Billboard’s charting process. But before
I make note that the video features a British-sounding band using American
currency, the music is pretty rocking.
With its retro flavor, the pounding rhythms, and the forceful vocals,
even the song uses acoustic guitars, this song provides a sense of energy that
might have surpassed Spoon’s efforts. As
a result, this is a song that I can genuinely like. I can wonder what the title means, but this
song’s chorus, which deals with the singer having an issue of acting before he
thinks, gives me a sense that this song is probably going to be a strong
empowerment anthem. But because none of
these guys are gals, LGBT, or minorities, the liberal establishment will pass
these guys over, which is a damn shame as these guys are probably the most
notable breath of fresh air in the stagnant rock scene. I’m guessing that Catfish and the Bottlemen
needed to put a banjo in there to appease the hipsters.
44. On + Off – Maggie Rogers (new):
This
song is a lot better than I expected. If it wasn’t for the
charismatic, though young-looking singer, then this song would have been
something I would have had a hissy fit over if it made the rock charts. That’s how much of a joke the rock charts
have been for a while. But that doesn’t
mean this song is bad or mediocre. It’s
pretty good, and the singer pushes it to good.
The song is bouncy and fun already despite the pop production (shouldn’t
that not be a criticism because people more notable than me say these two
things combined is a good thing). There
are some jangly guitars here, despite the song being driven more by synths and
weird instrumentation, but there’s a sense of melody here, and a style, that
allows me to forgive the lack of guitars (I care about electric guitars in
music, if you haven’t figured by now).
Plus, Maggie is a surprisingly good singer in general. If there’s any issues that keeps this from
being top material for me, it’s bubbly enough to catch my attention, but not
enough to completely stick. Good song
though, just to remind you.
And
somewhere, Krillin’s like, “We get it!
You find this song good!”
45. The Stage – Avenged Sevenfold (42 last
week): good
46. Angela – The Lumineers (50 last week):
May review next time if I get 210 views for this entry
47. Seal The Deal – Volbeat (returning):
I’ve
already reviewed this song before on another series, but I feel that it’s time
to revisit my thoughts, since I put “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown” on my best-of
list for last year. But if this song has
anything else interesting about it, it’s the fact that it has a thrash metal
feel versus the more rockabilly-meets-groove metal feel of the aforementioned
song. This fits Rob Caggiano’s style
extremely well (he was in Anthrax). For
everything else I might have said about this song, here’s a rundown. The song is fast and furious, the guitars
slay, the bass is thick and aggressive, the drums hit hard, the vocal from
Michael Poulsen (no relation to Rob Paulson) are empowering, and so are the
lyrics, dealing with sticking to your guns, and the solo is something to
behold. Overall, it’s a perfect radio
metal song. It’s got punch, grit, and
intensity that most band’s would sell their souls to Beelzebub for.
48. Say Something Loving – The xx (19 last
week): May review next time if I get 220 views for this entry
49. Never Again – Breaking Benjamin (43 last
week): Good
50. Revolution – The Score (new):
So
at the bottom of the chart is “Revolution” by electro-rock band The Score. If it wasn’t for the synthesizers,
electronics, and drum machine, this could make for a great rock song. It’s punchy, it has groove, the tone is
aggressive and in-your-face with the guts to sell it, the vocals are strong,
and so on. This may not be the song
that’d secure my faith in guitar-driven rock, but it’s a song that secures my
faith in rock being a major player in the music mainstream (but once we get hot
guitar licks back, then we’re good to go).
The singer, Eddie Anthony Ramirez Jr, has a surprisingly powerful voice
despite the choice of singing style he goes for here. The song hits surprisingly hard, and it’s
great to see some guts in more contemporary sounds.
But despite that, this is nowhere near as badass as the rock of yesteryear, when music was more about doing your own thing and doing things that can make scare people. As a millennial, I’m embarrassed that we’re going for stuff like this…
But despite that, this is nowhere near as badass as the rock of yesteryear, when music was more about doing your own thing and doing things that can make scare people. As a millennial, I’m embarrassed that we’re going for stuff like this…
…rather
than this…
…or
this…
…or
this…
…or maybe this…
…or
this…
…OR
EVEN THIS…
Stupid SJWs. They’re ruining our music like how
they’re ruining our comics.
Despite
that angry showcase of my taste in punk and metal, here’s the Alternative
Songs:
1. Still Breathing – Green Day (1 last
week): good
2. She's Out Of Her Mind – Blink-182 (2
last week): good
3. Take It All Back – Judah & The Lion
(3 last week): meh
4. Waste A Moment – Kings Of Leon (4 last
week): like it
5. Cleopatra – The Lumineers (6 last
week): May review next time if I get 10 views for this entry
6. Blood In The Cut – k.flay (5 last
week): May review next time if I get 20 views for this entry
7. Trouble – Cage The Elephant (7 last
week): May review next time if I get 30 views for this entry
8. Somebody Else – The 1975 (10 last
week): like it
9. Heavydirtysoul – twenty one pilots (11
last week): May review next time if I get 40 views for this entry
10. Human – Rag'n'Bone Man (17 last week):
May review next time if I get 50 views for this entry
11. 7 – Catfish And The Bottlemen (16 last
week): See above
12. Fire Escape – Andrew McMahon In The
Wilderness (15 last week): May review next time if I get 60 views for this
entry
13. Talk Too Much – COIN (8 last week): May
review next time if I get 70 views for this entry
14. Go Robot – Red Hot Chili Peppers (14 last
week): Good
15. Heathens – twenty one pilots (9 last
week): tired of it
16. Wish I Knew You – The Revivalists (18
last week): May review next time if I get 80 views for this entry
17. Wild Horses – Bishop Briggs (19 last
week): May review next time if I get 90 views for this entry
18. Tearing Me Up – Bob Moses (20 last week):
May review next time if I get 100 views for this entry
19. Roll Up – Fitz And The Tantrums (21 last
week): May review next time if I get 110 views for this entry
20. Cocoon – Milky Chance (25 last week): May
review next time if I get 120 views for this entry
21. On Hold – The xx (24 last week): May
review next time if I get 130 views for this entry
22. Cold Cold Cold – Cage The Elephant (29
last week): May review next time if I get 140 views for this entry
23. Blame – Bastille (32 last week): May
review next time if I get 150 views for this entry
24. Sweet Disaster – Dreamers (27 last week):
May review next time if I get 160 views for this entry
25. My Name Is Human – Highly Suspect (26
last week): amazing
26. Shine – Mondo Cozmo (30 last week): May
review next time if I get 170 views for this entry
27. Hymn For The Weekend – Coldplay (23 last
week): May review next time if I get 180 views for this entry
28. All The Pretty Girls – Kaleo (31 last
week): May review next time if I get 190 views for this entry
29. Move – Saint Motel (22 last week): May
review next time if I get 200 views for this entry
30. Silvertongue – Young The Giant (35 last
week): May review next time if I get 210 views for this entry
31. Oxygen – The Dirty Heads (28 last week):
May review next time if I get 220 views for this entry
32. Highway – Bleeker (33 last week): great
33. Latchkey Kids – Silversun Pickups (36
last week): May review next time if I get 230 views for this entry
34. Name For You – The Shins (38 last week): May
review next time if I get 240 views for this entry
35. Same Old Blues – Phantogram (37 last
week): May review next time if I get 250 views for this entry
36. Middle Fingers – Missio (new):
Can
we agree that this bassline would cause headaches? Because it does for me. It’s not that it’s bad, but that it’s too
dour and aggressive for this style. But
that should be a good thing because of how it’s at least not cutesy or
ironic. Or maybe it’s because I’d rather
listen music that SOUNDS like hair metal, thrash metal, death metal, power
metal, grunge, or anison than stuff that tries to take the feel and apply it to
EDM. Not to say that this style can’t
work with electronics. It just makes
this song sound completely smug. It’s as
if the song has the maturity of a spoiled teen who realized that things aren’t
so black and white, or someone said that they suck or something, or that they
couldn’t have the PS4 they wanted. As a
result, they decided to give EVERYONE the bird.
Excuse me for a second…
I
needed that. At least the song says what
it’s about from the title. But this is a
definite skip for me.
37. Down – Marian Hill (new):
So
the next review is for a piano song sung by someone who sounds white. I’m sorry, but despite the groovy piano, this
I’m tuned out from that. Then the
electronics kick in, and the modern hip hop elements come in, and this becomes
part of the slurry of downbeat, depressing songs known as modern pop music
without the retro inflections (which is why I’d hope to jump in, play glam
metal with anime-inspired lyrics, and kick these sad sacs to the curb, but I’m
just a guy on the internet). It’s a song
that sounds alright when I give it a shot, but this sounds enough like the bad
pop music of recent years, with its tone and attitude, and so on. I’ll give this song a few more plays, but
don’t expect me to care about it. At
least the title make sense.
38. Hot Thoughts – Spoon (new): see above
39. Lost On You – LP (new):
This
song is definitely better than the two new entries that I discussed earlier,
and I can see this song being a contender.
It’s a dark, sad song with enough punch, emotion, and strong musical
direction that gives it enough power to sell me on it. The mix of the emotional vocals that channel
Gwen Stefani when she’s not trying to be annoying, the song’s key, the production
mixing acoustic guitars, thumping drums and bass, and orchestral flourishes is
enough to somehow get me a little concerned for the singer, knowing that she’s
in pain singing about how this man she’s into is not understanding her
feelings. Yes, that sappy as hell, but
when a girl can sell the emotions she has in this scenario in that scenario,
she deserves all the Grammys. If Adele
loses her way, I’d like LP to take her place.
40. We Don't Know – The Strumbellas (39 last
week): May review next time if I get 260 views for this entry
And
finally, my favorite one to look at due to a combination of my musical
interests, nostalgia, and biases: the Mainstream Rock Chart:
1. Still Breathing – Green Day (2 last
week): good
2. Atlas, Rise! – Metallica (4 last week):
Great
3. Square Hammer – Ghost (1 last week):
Great
4. How Did You Love – Shinedown (6 last
week): Good
5. My Name Is Human – Highly Suspect (3
last week): amazing
6. The Stage – Avenged Sevenfold (5 last
week): good
7. Amnesia – Red Sun Rising (8 last week):
great
8. Never Again – Breaking Benjamin (9 last
week): good
9. Seal The Deal – Volbeat (7 last week):
see above
10. Hated – Beartooth (11 last week): good
11. Take Me – Korn (12 last week): good
12. Monster – Starset (15 last week): great
13. Door To Door Cannibals – Chevelle (13
last week): good
14. Oh My God – The Pretty Reckless (17 last
week): great
15. We Will Not Go Quietly – Sixx: A.M. (14
last week): good
16. If Only For Now – Pop Evil (16 last
week): good
17. The Truth – In Flames (18 last week): boo
18. Highway – Bleeker (19 last week): great
19. The Bottom – Devour The Day (24 last
week): great
20. Go Robot – Red Hot Chili Peppers (21 last
week): Good
21. Waste A Moment – Kings Of Leon (20 last
week): like it
22. Ready For War (Pray For Peace) – Adelitas
Way (25 last week): good
23. Where To I Begin – Sick Puppies (27 last
week): okay
24. Moth Into Flame – Metallica (22 last
week): Great
25. Breathe – Through Fire (26 last week):
okay
26. Blood In The Cut – k.flay (34 last week):
May review next time if I get 10 views for this entry
27. She's Out Of Her Mind – Blink-182 (28
last week): good
28. Naivety – A Day To Remember (23 last
week): okay
29. The Madness – Art Of Anarchy (29 last
week): okay
30. Breaking Now – From Ashes To New (30 last
week): okay
31. Still Of The Night – Halestorm (35 last
week): May review next time if I get 20 views for this entry
32. Heavydirtysoul – twenty one pilots (33
last week): May review next time if I get 30 views for this entry
33. Animal – Badflower (31 last week): Great
34. Oh No – Goodbye June (32 last week): good
35. Back From The Dead – Skillet (new):
Let
me re-read the title. Okay then, here’s my
initial reaction:
Sorry
about that, but considering the previous single I gave increasingly jaded
thoughts on, I would have guessed that Skillet would have cowered after being
proven to not be feeling invincible. But
they had to come back with a song with a hilarious title for this
scenario. Why would they say that
they’re back from the dead? Are they
saying that they came back after they were bashed for selling out with
“Monster”? Is this a return to their
older style? This is electronic-tinged
butt rock with Christian lyrics. It’s not
something that’d get a lot of attention, or praise for that matter, but it’s
probably better than “Feel Invincible,” I think? Give this a few more times, and I might hate
this, but for now, it’s alright. It has
a strong groove, there’s some prominent guitars, John Cooper sounds forceful here,
and there’s definitely some decent guitar licks and solos. It’s not great, but it ain’t bad. It’s okay for what it is, but not the kind of
song to get me excited for more. Unlike
the next new entry….
36. New Land – Avatar (37 last week): May
review next time if I get 40 views for this entry
37. All Messed Up – The Amity Affliction (36
last week): okay
38. My Champion – Alter Bridge (new):
Alter
Bridge is back to melt faces. Let’s get
this out of the way, but if you’re face ends up on your shirt before Myles
Kennedy comes in to sing about the rise of a hero, you’ll need a lot of towels
to mop that up and get it back on your head.
As for the song, it’s an optimistic, get back up and kick ass kind of
song about being put through the ringer and being unable to fight back until
you better yourself. In short, this is
the anthem of a shonen hero. And that’s
the kind of hero we need in the age of Trump, since Marvel is sticking with
similar formulas for the movies and being SJWs in the comics, and DC needed
another reboot comic-wise while their movies are dour messes with no
character. Not to say that Marvel sucks
movie-wise, but they need to be like Alter Bridge (and Goku, Luffy, and so on)
and better themselves, explore what they’re capable of. The optimistic tone is kept in the riffs, the
licks, the rhythm, the vocal delivery, and the face melting guitar solo. If there’s an anime that needs an optimistic,
ass-kicking western rock song as its opening or ending theme, this should be
considered. With its mix of grunge, hair
metal, arena rock, power metal, progressive rock, and other awesome genres of
guitar rock, this song is one that I HOPE makes the top of the charts, or even
the top 10. This already is in the
running for the best of 2017. I feel
like I can take on another review after this rocker. Hell, I feel like taking on the world in my
crusade of legitimizing hard rock throughout the world. Don’t believe me, believe in the me that
believes in Alter Bridge.
39. Weight Of The World – Crown The Empire
(39 last week): May review next time if I get 50 views for this entry
40. Royals – Otep (new):
Why
does that title sound familiar? After
giving this song a listen, this song is basically a grown lesbian in her late
30s singing a song from the point of view of a jaded teenage girl (because that
was the point of the original song). If
you’re wondering what I’m getting at, this is a cover of the song that turned
Lorde into a star (until she suddenly disappeared). Does that mean this song is bad? It doesn’t but it seems too extreme compared
to the minimal original. Not to say that
metal bands can’t cover pop songs, but certain metal bands can’t cover certain
pop songs. I mean, I find the idea of
DevilDriver covering “Sail” interesting because they keep the original tone but
add metal instrumentation, production, and vocals to the song. Here's that version:
What
they ultimately did was take an electro-rock song with elements and writing
that can work in harder rock and kept them while taking certain element further
than what AWOLNATION could have (and the fact that the original is DLC in
Rocksmith is interesting since I can now find the link between the original). The reason for bringing up that cover is
because Otep’s “Royals” is trying too hard to metal-up a song that really didn’t
need a metal version. Due to that, the
moments when the song makes the vocals more aggressive end up making the song
sound less impactful. The only time the
metal elements work is in the verses, when Otep manages to show her more
melodic, human side while keeping the disgust, but it falls apart in the
chorus, where it becomes a slurry of noise.
It’s okay by my standards, despite being rather noisy for the sake of
being noisy (it’s not as if she’s trying to be musically discomforting on
purpose), but many people are going to hate this. I don’t hate Otep, but there are times when I
need to take a break from her bouts of rage.
This might have appealed to me when I was younger and more naïve, but it’s
good for certain moods.
So
those were my thoughts on the charts and the new arrivals. If you feel that I skipped out on certain songs,
then feel free in the comments what songs you want me to elaborate on. I have plans depending on how this is received
for what I will review next week as well as what is new next week for the
chart(s) I ultimately look at. If you
have different opinions on the songs I reviewed, feel free to tell me in the
comments as well.
And
yes, my best-of list beat Todd’s to being released first.
 |
| And I’m sure that it will mean nothing. He's more popular than me. |
Until
Next Time, This is The Rock Otaku. Live
Loud and Play Hard.
All used references are done under the rules of fair use and are
owned by their original creators.
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