You all knew this was coming at some point. You know, musicians putting their talents towards the big mystery of what happened between generations? We drive right into the head of Big Alicorn bookhorse, emotionally broken and her back to the wall. Holy Celestia, does this aggressive string of guitars and drums bring down this feeling of desperation and despair! Seyden’s vocals and screams rip through this track, grabbing at your dang soul to help poor twilight cope with the loss of her friends and unsure of how to move forward with her rule of Equestria. Could this be the very point where the magic in Equestria started to fade? An incredibly haunting guitar solo tops this track off courtesy of Biscuit! Brony metal goodness at your delight, my friends!
Rock
RE:MAKE – ELEMENTS | Rock
Many years ago, long before the herald existed, two guys called Edd and Jimmy formed a band called AcousticBrony. They created a series of themes for the Mane 6 which gained legendary status among the fandom, but it was incomplete; only 4 of the 6 themes were released! As time went by and AcousticBrony became RE:MAKE, it appeared the full set would never be complete…until now.
It’s incredibly refreshing, not just to hear the final 2 songs in the Elements series, but the whole set re-worked and re-recorded, with new life brought to all the existing tracks. The entire album was produced by PrinceWhateverer, so Generosity, Laughter, Kindness and particularly Loyalty (which is now over 10 years old!) now sound better than ever!
As for the two brand new songs, the fit perfectly alongside the original four and it’s clear that RE:MAKE’s songwriting has only improved over the years. Honesty sets a record for the fastest song on the album (sorry Dash) and, of course, has some fantastic banjo courtesty of DivinumX. And much like the album’s namesake, Magic unites the others, making callbacks to the motifs of all six song in the series.
ELEMENTS is available to purchase on Bandcamp or stream on various services.
4everfreebrony – Friendship/Loyalty (feat. RE:MAKE) | Pop Rock
2 songs for the price of 1! This mashup cover from 2020 finally gets its own release to celebrate the long-awaited release of RE:MAKE’s ELEMENTS album (don’t worry, we’ll get round to posting that in time)! 4EFB’s rendition of these two fandom classics has a bit of an “unplugged” feel to it. The heavy electronic drums from the former and distorted guitars from the latter make way instead for acoustic guitar, brushed drums and I believe a cello. We also get treated to Jimmy from RE:MAKE’s guest vocals for this special rendition! Go take a listen and watch this space for more about ELEMENTS… 👀
Skyshard – Hearth’s Warming Stories Vol 2: Skyshard in the Multigenre of Madness (Special Pony Edition) | Album | Multi-Genre
Editor’s note: better 2 months late than never!
Suppose you want to talk about a musician who has been on the move. Innovating herself, experimenting, and ever-expanding on her musical talents. Skyshard is known for her abilities in the orchestra brony community, highlighted by making a splash in 2021 with her impressive string of compilation album releases!
Hearth’s Warming Stories Vol 2 shows a different side to her talent pool. Building on her composing talents, we’re treated to a musical dive into mixing her orchestral core with various genres. The tracks are tongue-in-cheek tales of Twilight and her friends trying to plan a late Hearthswarming party highlighted by the Mane 6 poking fun at the brony music community with an amusing use of mane six speaking through 15.ai as a bonus feature in this version!
(Read about some select choices of songs after the break)
Continue readingSnowShovel – Irresponsible (For a day or two) [Feat. StealingShad3z & BreeBree] | Rock
Ever have those days where you just wanna drop every care in the world for a while, possibly to the detriment of future-you? I certainly have, and from the tone of this song, it seems our favorite book-horse has too. Snowshovel nails the classic rock vibes here, which serve as the smoke-filled pool hall where Shad3z’ and Bree’s vocals are your double Screwdriver; heavy, gritty, and it sounds like concentrated delinquent fun (as well as a member of the repeat club!)
4EverfreeBrony – By The Wind (feat. MEMJ0123, Metajoker, Whirldwind, & CyrilTheWolf) | Pop Rock
No stranger to making fun, upbeat pop rock songs, 4EverfreeBrony’s newest track, By The Wind, offers a fresh display of his finely-honed talent. Insightful lyrics delivered with pristine vocal harmonies by 4EverfreeBrony and MEMJ0123 are supercharged by energetic piano, drums, and bass provided by Metajoker, Whirldwind, and CyrilTheWolf, respectively. Together, these talented musicians tell a poignant and relatable story of a couple sailing across the ocean, blown by strong winds of epic change. The couple is scarred and rowing hard, unsure of their survival and uncertain of the future. With such a potent message, By The Wind is nevertheless uplifting and fun, encouraging faith over fear for all who feel precariously blown into uncharted territory.
Biscuit – THE AIR THAT YOU AND I BREATHE IS NOT THE SAME | Metal
Get excited because there is some new and very promising talent on the scene! Biscuit expresses their unique take on nightmare moon’s perspective of her banishment and relation to Celestia through the aggression and heavy tones of metal. The guitars and drums hit hard while Biscuit’s articulate vocals send a message to the sun princess of how the air that you and I breathe is not the same. Creative, dynamic, and clearly well-thought out, Biscuit is definitely a talent to keep your eyes on (and maybe subscribe while you are at it)!
[P@D] Frozen Night – Awakening (feat. SDreamExplorerS) | Symphonic Metal
The call has gone out to all warriors! It’s time for “Awakening!” This epic track from Frozen Night’s concept album, Time’s Arrow, dives right into battle mode as resounding bass drums begin to herald a rousing call to war. Uplifting choirs and dramatic strings and horns build a sense of destiny advancing into strong conflict. An uplifting, Celtic-warrior-type melody eventually bursts into a climactic electric guitar solo by SDreamExplorerS, which brilliantly expresses the buildup to the critical point of battle where the tide turns, and victory is assured. For all who want to awaken the righteous warrior within, be sure to listen to this inspiring track from P@D’s newest album release, Aurora.
Francis Vace – Fading | Rock
Francis Vace was out of action a little when it comes to music over the last year or two compared to his regular output, but recently he’s hopped back on the release train with a plethora of awesome tracks that now make up this newly released album, Fading. There’s plenty to enjoy throughout this thoroughly cohesive experience, as it blends elements of pop, punk and electronica into a wonderful rock experience. There’s also support from collaborators too with features from TCB, Koa, Luck Rock, Jade Kelly and Scoonie. The consistency in feeling between all the tracks in the album driven most pointedly by the tone of guitars across tracks helps to make it a thoroughly cohesive experience, but with the help of the other collaborators there’s also more than enough variety to keep things interesting the whole way through.
(Some song recaps after the break)
Continue readingNyancat380 – The Brightness | Prog / Electronic Rock
From “Methodic Ways To Break A Mind” this song ironically feels quite dark and tense. “The Brightness” is a riddle of sorts themed around Rainbow Dash, with hints sprinkled throughout for the album’s theme, plus there is an outstanding lyric video accompanying it! The tension and mystery is laid out with fast paced guitar riffs and hauntingly beautiful vocaloid lines. Cold, methodical, and chant-like, everything about this track grabs your attention and doesn’t let go! The chorus is heavily addicting and I guarantee your thoughts will be provoked by the poem that Nyancat380 has laid out.
Horse Music Herald 