A wonderful gift to the community and to the ponies by DolceTikky for the new year, this musical celebration in the pony way is starring such cute melodies on the guitar along the comfy beats, and even features a cover of the Theme Song! I am so happy to see a new release by DolceTikky!
Rock
Equinity – 02: Catalyst | Compilation Album | Multi-Genre
The second installment in Equinity’s power compilation album series, Catalyst blasts sounds from the future and masterpieces all around from many pony musicians and familiar faces. Newcomers participated as well, and in harmony everypony created this wonderful painting of memories shared. From the Zecora-themed Mumbo Jumbo by Cynifree, to the dank Brohoofdab from the duo of TPressleyJ and ShobieShy, to the divine DnB beauty Sea Stack from Tw3Lv3 and Niłch’i Poni, to the mega collab opener of the album… and many, many more inbetween waiting for you to discover them, if you haven’t downloaded the album already! All funds raised will go toward TeamTrees! Kudos to Equinity staff and all the contributing musicians for their dedication and incredible work, certainly acting as a catalyst for even more wonders to come!
Toby Macarony – Shenanigans | Album | Electronic
Toby Macarony makes incredible and unique music that only Toby Macarony can make! For years now, they have been pushing the boundaries of conventional dance music and thrilling those paying attention with a hybrid electro swing/horror style while occasionally dabbing into other genres as well.
Shenanigans puts the full array of talent front and center with a variety of amazing tracks! The vocal chop work is out of this world, with the timing, tuning, and modulation.
The first track The Starlight Glimmer Express has a powerful and very jazzy feel. The beat bounces to a train-like cadence and sets the stage for a crazy album.
Songs like Sunset at the Farm, and AJ’s Muscles utilize some country instrumentation and get a very homely, Applejack feel with the twang from a banjo among other stylized instrumentation.
One of the biggest standout tracks on this album is Forever which is a sound bath of incredible vocal chops, expertly panned. It uses only a little bit on piano, focusing almost entirely on the layering of familiar tidbits from several show songs. The track amazes from very early on and only gets better and better throughout the 6 minute run-time! You do not want to miss out hearing this song and it follows that you should do yourself the favor of listening to the full album. There is absolutely no musician in this fandom (or probably outside of it either!) who does what Toby Macarony accomplishes!
Elias Frost – Chrysalis Lullaby | Hybrid Orchestral
Elias Frost returns with yet another song from Stories Vol. III. Based on a Swedish lullaby by Bellmans Vaggvisa, Chrysalis Lullaby is a truly haunting and creepy piece about the queen of the hive herself. A haunting vocal piece makes up for the core sample, with the beginning flaunting some orchestral strings, a piano, some music box sounds and haunting ambience sounds before eventually building up as Frost’s music is known to do. The buildup sees the inclusion of an electric guitar, EDM drum hits on top of the vocalist’s creepy delivery. This album’s on the way to greatness!
StealingShad3z – Neglect the Chicken (feat. Blackened Blue) | Pop-Punk
Shad3z has blessed us with another kickin’ pop punk tune, this time about teenage Scootaloo! The lyrics evoke Green Day’s Jesus of Suburbia, though not as melodramatic, with its theme of a rebellious Scoots leaving home to live a greater life with her friends. The production (including some vocal production from 4everfreebrony!) is rock-solid and Blackened Blue’s guitar chops are as impressive as ever. You can grab this one at Shad3z’ or at Ponies at Dawn’s Bandcamp page and support a great cause!
[P@D] SDreamExplorerS – Funk, I’m Late! (feat. L-Train) | Funk Metal
Oh funk, we’ve got another Ponies at Dawn: Echoes release! The compilation’s 39th track (as well as the 9th track on Ephemeral II: Parallels) sees a collab between SDreamExplorerS and L-Train that combines elements of funk rock and death metal; this track has it all. Groovy and technical basslines, atmospheric leads, brutal drums; just pure funky heaviness. An unstoppable dream team, these two!
Brownie – The Magic of Friendship Grows (Covering Daniel Ingram) | Metal
Guitar wizard and creator of the amazing Neighhem Fest events Brownie has graced us with an absolutely killer cover of the beloved The Magic Friendship Grows from MLP’s finale! It utilizes a gritty production aesthetic, is beautifully-executed (with the guitar tones in particular shining), and is sure to quench any of you headbangers’ thirst for more pony metal! As commenter, musician, and fellow HMH writer Blackened Blue puts it, “Get ready for the saddest moshpit ever.”
[Helpie’s Corner] Evdog – Say Goodbye | Soft Rock
The theme of longing for the past continues with Say Goodbye, the fourth track from Other Side of the Mirror, the first Helpie’s Corner album. Evdog’s contribution is a soft rock track with plenty of acoustic guitars and powerful harmonies in the chorus that just ooze emotion. Loss is a topic that definitely hits home for some, but hopefully this piece will help you through it.
[P@D] Francis Vace & Evdog – Perennial | Pop Rock
The ever-familiar Francis Vace has teamed up with Evdog for track 10 of Ponies at Dawn: Eternal! A softer track by Francis’ standards, it’s a duet between the two, with Francis taking the role of Pear Butter and Evdog as Bright Mac. The two’s voices come together greatly and perfectly accent the soft music which keeps some of Francis’ signature style of rock with the occasional horn. These two ponies were made for songs like this!
Thrasher – Welcome To Insanity | Album | Industrial Metal
Industrial metal musician Thrasher’s third studio album is finally here, and it’s definitely a treat. With 11 tracks of industrial metal goodness, this is an album you won’t want to pass up. Emanon, Blackened Eyes and A Villain’s Descent were released as pre-release singles, which leaves us with 8 brand new stellar songs to hear. After the album’s ominous opener, Evolution, we’re greeted with powerful metal tracks in the form of Emanon and Annihilation. Both of these songs are erratic and fast-paced, filled with chugging guitars that you’ll easily find yourself headbanging to. Track 4, – Disoriented – starts out with a unique Indian-inspired atmosphere, with tablas and sitars leading the intro before bringing the rhythm section and distorted guitars into the mix, making what can best be described as a heavier Tool-sounding song. The middle of the album sees a minute long interlude, consisting of a distant electric guitar ringing out before heading into the transition for the next track, Insanity. The two stand out tracks on this album are Colossus and The Word Above, both of which are longer than 6 minutes. Both tracks are heavy, filled with electronic elements and feel a lot shorter than they actually are. Overall, this album is a must-listen if you’re into industrial metal such as Fear Factory. You won’t regret it in the slightest.
Horse Music Herald 