Singles Roundup: New Year's Day, Megadeth, Avantasia, & Chez Kane

Let's take a moment to see what this week's collection of singles has in store for us:

New Year's Day - Hurts Like Hell

I really liked the latest New Year's Day album, which I think melded heavy modern alternative with huge pop hooks about as well as can be done. For their first song in several years since then, they are back with the same formula. The guitars drive with deep tones, and a few skittering riffs that borrow from djent-iness. Ash's voice is cutting, and sells the heck out of the melody. It might be considered a bit sharp or strident, but I don't think it goes too far in that direction. It's a powerful song that serves as a nice reminder until the band is ready to to deliver a full album.

Megadeth - Soldier On!

I haven't been won over by the previous singles Megadeth has released, and this one is not going to turn the tide. The biggest issue this time isn't even that it has a rather tuneless vocal line that lets the song be entirely defined by the guitar playing, it's that the main riff of the song is pretty much the exact same riff from "Kick The Chair". And that was a far better song. Dave Mustaine goes through these phases where he's either trying to write radio songs, or he's only concerned with being heavy enough to still be considered thrash. If he could combine the two, which is what he did when he was at his best, Megadeth might have a chance of being good. This certainly isn't.

Avantasia - Misplaced Among The Angels

The more I'm hearing of this new album, the more worried I get. The long gap between records is already a cause for concern, but this is the second song to be released where I hear bits and pieces of melodies I swear have already been on Avantasia records. I know sounding like yourself isn't a bad thing, but when it's to the point where I'm immediately recalling other songs to try to place what I'm hearing, it isn't the reaction a new song should get. I'm finding myself rather disinterested in what Tobi has offered us so far, and I'm wondering if this is another case of the singles being the weaker songs (which has happened to him several times), or if all signs pointing toward trouble are indeed pointing toward trouble. We'll find out soon enough.

Chez Kane - I Just Want You

I've made my distaste for the 80s nostalgia wave plenty clear by now. That said, every so often a song is done so well, it transcends time and space. This is one of those songs. It is obviously a pastiche of 80s power ballads, but I'm not going to try to say Chez' voice and that hook aren't absolutely incredible. Put this song in a playlist with songs like "Listen To Your Heart" and the like, and you won't even notice when this new entry kicks in. Even though it's something I shouldn't like so much, it's absolutely perfect. Maybe I'm getting soft in my old age, but if more nostalgia delivered like this, maybe I wouldn't write it off so quickly.