Added to the Latest Discoveries playlist!

 Lame Genie is an independent metal instrumental band that makes a lot of covers of video game music.  In this case, they covered the whole soundtrack for one of my favorite video games of all time...Mega Man 2!  This hall of fame caliber 8-bit video game got the musical reformation that it has always deserved.  The performance of each member was spot on.  The drums we double-kicking their way through and changing it up along the way, keeping the song true to its origin.  The lead guitar played the melodies just how they are remembered with extremely tasteful squeals, doodly-doos and soaring solos, as well as adding guitar solos that were not in the game.  Rhythm guitars were also done expertly, with the bass line riffing along with these heavy rhythms. I don't normally prefer instrumental rock, but whether it's the nostalgia and/or the incredible performance and sound quality, not to mention the significant amount of effort behind it, I can't quit lis...

Added to the Latest Discoveries playlist!

Added to the Latest Discoveries playlist!

Added to the Latest Discoveries playlist!

 Hollow Temples by Haints is a heavy rocking banger with melodic vocals in the choruses and gritty screaming vocals in the verses that hit!  It is very well produced and performed with precision.  The guitars sound powerful with the thundering bass.  The drums sound like a bunch of semis colliding and the vocals are on-point with notes, rhythm and control.  When I read their bio on Bandcamp, it said that they are an "Oxford 4 Piece ponk rark band", but this song didn't fit that at all.  This was closer to Metalcore.  But when I listened to the whole EP, the song "Punchline" fit the "punk rark" description much more nicely. I personally recommend this song and am placing it on the Sensei's Choice playlist!

 Added to the Latest Discoveries playlist!

Added to the Latest Discoveries playlist!

Added to the Latest Discoveries playlist!

  Added to the Latest Discoveries playlist!

Here is a new Ronin Spotlight! Caustic Waves has an incredible album called "Echoes" within the melodic, heavy alternative rock genre most popular in the late 90s and early 2000s, which is instrumentally performed on point, outstanding production, and no song that could be omitted.  Every song is as powerful as the next.  When it comes to heavy independent rock, this is as good as it gets.  I highly recommend it! Check it out!  Grab a copy of the album here... https://causticwaves.bandcamp.com/album/echoes

 Added to the Latest Discoveries playlist!

 Added to the Latest Discoveries playlist!

 Added to Latest Discoveries playlist!

 Broken Mold by Spares is a perfect example of playing loud, noisy rock the way they want with no boundaries placed upon them.  The guitars have intricate lead guitar parts and great sounding rhythm parts.  The drums sound great...played with precision and the bass is smooth and in a perfect spot of the mix.  The vocalist has a charismatic monotone that changes to screams strategically.  Once again, an out of the ordinary approach that absolutely works. I added this song to the Sensei's Choice playlist as well as the "Latest Discoveries" playlist.  Check them out!

I'm going to start giving new Latest Discovery playlist adds a blog post so they are searchable. Below are the bands/songs on the playlist at the point. Good Good Things by Post Traumatik 1312 by Trans Panic Sweetest Betrayal by Rival Waves Reset the Stars by Hail Your Highness Airstrike by Phillip Foxley Convergence by Robots In Love At the Edges by James Snelling Find Me There by Tim Woodruff The Shameless Swoon by Nobody's Uncle Worldwide Terror by Die Entweihung Melancholy by Jeff Belarmino Free Beers by Cupid's Nemesis Robot Strukture by Kontrolled Demolition Storm of Singularity by Lava Boots Jupiter by Lanusa Nada es verdad by Tenondera The Lake by Darkest of Winter Settle for Nothing by Keep the Fate Like a Secret by Van Raven Dr Wily Castle by Lame Genie A Thousand Suns by Titanosaur A Thousand Times by Anne Magnolia

 Convergence by Robots In Love is a heavy hard rock song with blasting rhythmic guitars, solid bass, crushing drums, and awesomely performed melodic vocals.  The production is awesome and performance is tight!  I enjoyed the synths that lead the melody, too.  I'm a huge fan of the double-kick! I added this to the "Latest Discoveries" playlist, plus the "Sensei's Choice" playlist, which contains personal recommendations.  Take a listen!

 At The Edges by James Snelling is a solid hard rock song with a classic 70's rock vibe with incredible control and chops with that guitar.  That guitar shines through all of his work, but this song might be his best with production quality and surrounding instrumentation sounding so good, too! I put this on the Sensei's Choice playlist as a personal recommendation to everyone.  Check it out!

 Worldwide Terror by Die Entweihung is a very active riffing guitar metal song with a fantastic female metal singer, great production, nice sounding drums and rolling metal bass...including a cool guitar solo! This song is added to the "Latest Discoveries" playlist, plus the "Sensei's Choice" playlist as a personal recommendation.  Check this top-notch metal track out!

Melancholy by Jeff Belarmino is an awesome alternative metal song with great production, heavy guitars, driving drums, booming bass and haunting vocals.  I know that the term "haunting" is used too much while describing vocals these days, but that was definitely the best one for a song that is meant to be haunting (choir/operatic) with the destruction of metal crushing the melancholy of the lyrics.  As the lyrics say, "Melancholy is your inspirational muse, A soul portraying...Tearing one’s self apart".  Very well written and solid performance. I personally recommend this song on the "Sensei's Choice" playlist!

 The brand new "Ronin Spotlight" playlist has it's first artist in focus! Titanosaur has a brand new album called "A Thousand Suns", which rocks with giant heavy guitars, pounding drums, great production, solid musicianship and growling vocals giving him his signature sound that never disappoints!  Titanosaur is the perfect band name for him because I can picture a dinosaur roaring those meaningful lyrics in prehistoric times where volcanoes are erupting and other dinosaurs and roaming. Check it out!  The full album is there.  Grab a copy of the album here... https://titanosaur1.bandcamp.com/album/a-thousand-suns

 This site now contains a new playlist called "Ronin Spotlight". A ronin walks without a master, just as these artists forge their sound independently. Ronin Spotlight goes deep on one band's full album or catalog of singles.