Friendship Commanders – DEAD & DISCARDED GIRLS
Heavy, guitar-based music belongs to everyone, of course. And, every time a new documentary about metalheads (of which there are far too many) is made, you hear the maker praising the sense of belonging that members of this community feel. You get the feeling that hard-rock music hosts a self-styled communism that has been proven to work.
But if that’s the case, open up a video of most metal festivals and look at the people moshing in front of the stage. What do you? For the most part, it’s big, burly dudes who couldn’t pass their physical and make it to the army, hitting each other in the head. That’s not me issuing judgment on the metal community. It’s simply a reading of the stats.
Friendship Commanders is a welcome antidote to all of that, music for all of the rest of the people who aren’t sitting at the heart of the moshpit, who are watching the shows alone from the back.
The power duo makes emotionally-tinged music that confronts some of life’s biggest mysteries and most terrible problems. The band plays dynamic heavy music that moves from a whisper to crushing distorted guitars and powerful screams. It’s an alternative to heavy alternative music, the thinking man or woman’s heavy metal, and something well-needed in this space and at this time.
Quarters Of Change – PLUMMET
You’ll find that this is an exercise that will really stretch your imagination and, possibly, give you a headache. But try to imagine a world where so-called “grunge” music or moody “nu metal” were cool, brand new, and felt like a revelation.
I know, I know! That sounds impossible, but it has to have happened; otherwise, the fame that you surely know about wouldn’t have converted millions to their cause in a matter of a few months. Otherwise, you wouldn’t know all those songs by those bands.
Quarters of Change are trying to echo that precise moment where excitement and endless possibilities met. What happened to deprive us of more of those moments? A million post-grunge clones and nu-metal clowns ruined it.
Still, Quarters of Change plays on lead single “PLUMMET” as if all of the copycat grunge bands and music industry tricks never occurred. It’s a wonderfully tough and gently melodic sound that the band specialises in. It’s delivered in a heartfelt way. The band cleverly stays away from the machismo stereotypes that have come to dominate these musical scenes. And, best of all, the sound is as clean and easy to lose yourself in as if you’re stepping on a gigantic sponge cake made in a French patisserie.
