I was talking to my sister the other day discussing the difference between hard rock or heavy bands from the eighties and the early nineties and bands from today. We both came to the conclusion that the bands of the bygone era had it much easier. I’m not saying easy, I’m saying easier. For one thing the older bands had MTV. As a band you can get by on marginal songs or one, maybe two good songs, and have an album of filler, and sell a million copies. All you had to do was look good and follow a simple formula:
First video is a rocker, for the dudes. The second a ballad, for the ladies. Then, not always, but often the third was a cover tune. For whom I don’t know. By the time, the third video came around it was mostly a piecemeal of live footage of the band on stage, maybe on a tour bus, and some footage, of them being really tired in a dressing room to emphasize that they put it all out there in the name of rock and roll.
These days bands do not have the luxury of MTV, or airplay, or flashy magazines, or any of the things that bands took for granted back then. To get noticed in the world of hard rock these days you must be good. I think that so many bands that are around today are much better than a great number of bands then.
Sometimes, band get overlook these days because there is no place for them to be heard. There are avenues, but most fans do not want to be bothered. It was easy to turn on MTV and let the music come to you. Some radio stations had heavy rock shows that were aired on Sunday night at 11PM or midnight. Yes, it sucked because you had school, or work the next morning, but at least it was something.
Then you get the people that love to say, “the new music coming out is not as good as the older stuff.” I disagree.
These days you can’t even hear a new band on the radio. I live in the New York City region, and there is not one station that plays new music, except for the odd college station that has no range. Tell me, how can I live in the “media capitol of the world” and have no new music stations at all but have more classic rock stations than you can swing a glam metalhead at. By the way, when a classic rock band puts out a new record, the classic stations play the new material for about one week, and then goes back to playing something off their 1985 album four times a day. Cheers!
Before you start throwing tomatoes at me, I understand that the people who take the time to read articles on this website (thank you), are looking for cool new bands to discover (thank you again). So, here’s one more that you can add to your list if you are a fan of blistering hard rock.
SD17 is the brainchild of New Mexico guitarist and central songwriter Tim Haverman, who have just released a scorching new song that has a throwback feel but is still contemporary and fresh. Their new video, “Last Chance,” is to be released on 5/14/21 and is just what the new music scene is looking for whether they know it or not.
SD17 – Last chance
The song starts off with a pulsating “Tie Your Mother Down” type riff, and I mean that in the best of ways. Then the pounding drums come in to start a slow headbanging throb. On the 32 second mark the beat shifts to a faster tempo, and the song really takes off. From that point on the rapid fire guitar licks keep that song chugging away that is infectious as it is fierce.
The vocals come in by a woman that goes by the moniker Nyx. From the pictures I’ve seen of her she looks like an MMA or WWE fighter. Total badass. Nyx handles the lyrics that are about aspiring to live out your dreams, because there is still time left.
You are alive and breathing.
Hence the name “The Last Chance.” I really think they mean you can have many chances if you want them, but you must go out a grab them by the throat. Her vocals are passionate and strong without being overpowering and taking over the song. My guess is that she has an amazing stage presence.
The song is rounded out by the intense drumming of a gentleman that only goes by the name of Sam. What I like about Sam’s drum sound is that it sounds full without the echo that many bands in the eighties used that made the drums sound completely phony, and studio contrived.
Of course, there is a classic guitar solo that Haverman delivers in a way that you don’t hear these days. I also snuck a glance at the band’s website, and the other songs on there are quite fantastic too. Everyone in this band is accomplished in their fields and it shows as the passion and vitality come pouring out of the speakers.
Apparently, SD 17 have over forty songs ready to go to fill out an entire full album. They have been terribly busy during the lockdown getting things right. Judging from this display the band is ready to go with boundless energy. Go on their website and bug them about putting out a proper record. Your hard rock heart will be glad you did.
“I think the challenge with lyric videos is capturing the essence of the song’s meaning without doing a full-on production video. Last Chance has some dark elements within the lyrics and music, and that was the challenge for Steve and the team over at Stereo 27. It’s always a collaborative effort, and as an indie artist I need to deliver a solid product for the fans.” –Tim Haverman
Follow SD17 on Facebook, Instagram and Spotify
Article: Carmine Basilicata
