WSOU Picks of the Week: Madball, Wars, DevilDriver
Seton Hall University’s WSOU radio is the only all-metal, all-the-time station currently broadcasting in the US, and has been a force in metal for DECADES. It’s also streamable online from anywhere in the world! Each week, the staff of WSOU shares their picks for the heaviest of the heavy, as well as the station’s charts for that week, right here on MetalSucks. Enjoy:
Madball – “Rev Up” (Aubrey F.)
Legendary New York hardcore band Madball is back and they’re throwing us a curveball with their new album For the Cause. This album was co-produced by Tim Armstrong and his footprints are all over the track “Rev Up.” This short and sweet anthem is very reminiscent of Operation Ivy’s “Unity” and puts the punk rock into hardcore with a loud and clear call for a positive revolution. The song features rapper Sick Jacksen, who fuses a hip hop element into Madball’s staple sound. This track feels like a more refined continuation of their previous album but kicks you in the throat with their “Set it Off” style aggression.
Wars – “Little Death” (Danielle M.)
“Little Death,” big sound. I sat and tried to pin down exactly what I enjoyed about this song — was it the vocals and lyrics? It’s a possibility, since I certainly liked the screaming, and the lyrics stuck themselves into my head immediately. Or maybe it was the drums and bass that made me feel the beat in my chest. But I think my favorite element of Wars’ song is the guitar playing, a work of art throughout the entire song. At some points it mellows out to fade into the background while other times it hits you in the face and you can’t help but marvel at how clean and sharp it sounds. Little in name, but hard to ignore.
DevilDriver – “Ghost Riders in the Sky” (Dylan G.)
Country music gets a bit of a bad rep with its tendency to lyrically pander. I’m an East Coast snob so maybe all that talk of cowboy boots, beer, country girls and more beer is lost on me, but it’s easy to forget that mainstream country once had some real grit. Add some metal in there and maybe the genre can be saved. DevilDriver’s cover of this American classic by Johnny Cash is an interesting take.
