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Just caught this in time for this week's Music Tuesday.  Is it any good?  Well, I haven't made up my mind yet.  It is catchy, but repetitive.  Sounds very 80s.  There is just something there, a spark of creativity maybe, that I cannot put my finger on.  Let's see what more will come out of this Belgian/Italian collective. Ada Oda - Mai Mai Mai https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGSpPgW_7iE

Rap metal you say?  Does that exist? Yep, this one is from the tail end of the crossover movement in the nineties.  Think Korn, Body Count, Dog Eat Dog...  I've never been a hip hop fan, but I like crossover music that smartly combines genres.  It invites you to explore more music.  This song is a fine example of that.  It's from the 1997 untitled Clawfinger album where the 3rd track is best known: Biggest & the Best. I believe that the first track is way better though, both musically as lyrically.   Clawfinger - Two Sides https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gv4cPCZXpc New! Spotify album link:   https://open.spotify.com/album/5EA1276qleBpN5O80kM0mT?si=HlPyCjplTMyTI-y51lGpAg

Hold on tight, this song packs a punch. A lot of the music I listen to links back to punk.  And this is a direct descendent of Hardcore Punk which emerged in the late 1970s and gets labeled as Melodic Hardcore.  Not for the faint of heart, but just listen a couple of times to this song and you will discover that there is something special going on.  The fast beat combined with the melodic singing gives you a kick like a strong coffee in the morning.  Enjoy! Strung Out - Analog https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HFBFeq6Kxo

I predict that her upcoming song "Gas Station Flowers" will be a hit.  Should be released anytime now, but from what I've heard through a 10 second video clip doing the rounds on this fine 'net it is going to be one of those songs that makes you notice an artist.  Let's see how this prediction turned out in a couple of years from now :) In the meantime check this out to get a first tasting: Zandi Holup - Wildflower https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b11cDVyGFPk

So you have found a great riff.  Why don't you put it on repeat for 13 or so minutes?   That is basically the starting point of the song today.  It never gets boring, with its heavy epic sound and clean vocals.  What surprised me most was the fact that this band sounds way larger than the 3 band members should be able to produce.  I know one thing, within 30 seconds of my first listening session I knew this band would be featured here. Monolord - Empress Rising https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCc901E02eY