Singles Roundup: The Winery Dogs, Dream State, The Nearly Deads, & Redemption

A new year means new songs. Ok, these songs were all released last year, but they portend albums that will be coming our way in the near future, so that's close enough. Calendars sometimes get in the way, don't they?

The Winery Dogs - Xanadu

With the first song from their upcoming album, the band seems intent on revisiting the spirit of their debut. I fully support that move, as "Hot Streak" felt like a detour that took you to the same place, but did so by taking a road with a much less interesting view. This time, the emphasis is once again on Richie's songwriting, attempting to blend some acrobatic instrumental playing in the breaks with a chorus sharpened to hook us. It doesn't work quite as well as the first singles off their previous albums, but it's still a good sign that the band is going to help get the year off to a good start. I'm not disappointed.

Dream State - Comfort In Chaos

The conflict in me is quieting. I wasn't so sure about the first song this new lineup of the band put out, but I'm coming around rather quickly. It's still a definite shift in tone, but a second dose of it is sinking in. The band is more polished and modern than ever, and the rough-around-the-edges nature of CJ's vocal delivery is missed, but I'm hearing plenty in this song to think Dream State will be just fine. The rust has been polished off the blade, and now they're going for a more surgical kill. I'll be interested to hear what else their EP has in store for us.

The Nearly Deads - Suffocating

They continue to keep on keepin' on. Like the upcoming album's first single, or any of the singles they put out in recent years, they have a knack for writing hooks that become infectious the more you listen to them. The riff almost sounds like sinister surf, and we ride the wave as TJ's melody in the chorus rises and swells before it comes back down to crush us. It's the sort of song that sounds so upbeat, it plays with our expectations as the lyric talks about feeling suffocated. I always love that dichotomy, and it sounds like I'm going to love the album when it arrives.

Redemption - I Am The Storm

Oh, Redemption. They were my favorite prog metal band, but I'm not sure if I can say that anymore. That's a combination of me not enjoying Tom Englund's voice, and also my knowledge of band leader Nick Van Dyk's personal views. Knowing what their old song, "Leviathan Rising", is about does not endear the band to me. I'm giving them another chance here, and it's hard to say what exactly I'm thinking. This is one of their more aggressive songs, which means the chorus section is lacking a bit of their usual melodic flair. That's already a bit of a disappointment, but then there's the issue of Englund. I know so many people find him to be one of the most emotional and poignant singers in metal, but he does nothing for me. Maybe it's just me, and the way his deeper voice blends into the lower tunings sucks all the brightness out of the mix, but like the last album, all I can think listening to this is that it would have been so much better if Ray Alder's voice was the one singing it.