Hackamore is back after a long quiet period, but with just as much emotion and musical depth as ever! Jackie’s Dream is a soft piece about what Applejack’s life may have been like had she have been born in a royal town instead of on a farm. The lyrics detail how her life would be at a much faster and cleaner pace with studying and promise of prestige and a traditional family. The tone of the song is very somber and reflective, using traditional country instrumentation like the mandolin and banjo throughout.
Rock
Forest Rain – Brony Pride | Rock Ballad
Echoing the brony family feelings from the iconic Proud to be a Brony, Forest Rain had the most wonderful idea ever with this heart-warming song part of the Discovery album. Indeed, it calls to our feelings for both the ponies and the community, and makes us gather while listening to the gorgeous vocals and tender instrumentation, and lingering in shared love. Once again, let us say that we are proud to be bronies, and that this is not just a fandom, but a family!
Blackened Blue – Payout | Metal
Blackened Blue’s Metal treats are always such display of lovely lyricism about events from episodes, retelling them using the power of rock music! It feels so great to get a musical enactement of Twilight’s antics in S09E05 The Point of No Return, along the screaming vocals and the blissful sound of the guitars!
Forest Rain – The Tempest | Rock Ballad
Forest Rain releases yet another track from their new album Discovery, and this one focuses on Tempest Shadow’s broken trust and anger she harboured leading up to the events of the MLP Movie. Powerful piano chords and instrumentation accompany an emotional story in this ballad and you can really tell Forest Rain put a lot of love and effort into it and I highly recommend listening to this and the rest of the album!
[P@D] Foozogz & PrinceWhateverer – Heavenbound | Alternative Rock
The opener of the truly celestial compilation album Ponies at Dawn Skyward is making us soar to high grounds from the start! A stellar collab between two renowned pony musicians, it would make even Rainbow Dash envious with such display of awesome-ness from both Foozogz’s signature bright vibes and PrinceWhateverer‘s vocals to fall in love for, and it has quite a deep concept too!
[P@D] DivinumX – Kindling | Melodic Metal
DivinumX is always good for some hard-hitting metal and for Ponies at Dawn: Skyward, he brings his ‘A’ game! Kindling is the story of Rainbow Dash telling how she started in the shadow of greatness, longing to be one of the greats who casts that shadow in front of a kindling flame. The vocal work is just incredible, perfecting utilizing the spectrum of techniques from clean singing, guttural screams, and chill-inducing harmonies. The guitar work is fantastic, pairing incredibly with the double pedal bass on the powerful drums making for an all-around top-level song!
StableTwoStallion – Chrysalis | Industrial Gothic Metal / Neue Deutsche Härte
My Heart Burns for Chrysalis! The Rammstein fans among you who can translate their German titles might get that reference, and just in time for StableTwoStallion’s “Neue Deutsche Härte” track that feels just like Rammstein’s take on a pony song! The lyrics and vocals are so perfect and make the track so nostalgic, and the top-notch instrumental isn’t lacking of Industrial tasty riffs and Gothic keyboard play either!
Forest Rain – Silverstream / Big Blue | Pop Punk
If you haven’t downloaded Forest Rain’s new album Discovery, then get on it now! One of the amazing songs you’ll hear is Silverstream – this energetic and touching tribute to the most enthusiastic and optimistic of the Student Six. It’s easy to jump around to these tracks with the quick guitars and flowing drum beat that make the genre so much fun to listen to!
Another hit included is Big Blue, a tribute to the softer, often hidden side of Gallus. This track has softer, more melodic parts like the piano lead-in and outro. Of course, this song wouldn’t be complete without the faster, standard pop punk chorus!
Forest Rain – Bad Wolf: 2019 | Alternative Rock / Orchestral
From the all-new Discovery album (album announcement here), Bad Wolf: 2019 is a remake of the original 2013 track by Forest Rain, and you can tell it has been crafted with love! Displaying much creativity with electronic, rock and orchestral elements alike, it makes for a perfect musical accompaniment to celebrate the new album as well as Forest’s upcoming performance at Everfree Northwest on the 17th of May! Physical copies of the album will also be available there!
[P@D] StealingShad3z – Shut Me Up (feat. Agatan) | Alternative Rock
StealingShad3z always comes up with something new and interesting be in pop-punk or softer, more alternative tracks like this one. Fresh from the new Ponies at Dawn: Skyward compilation album, Shut Me Up is a clever and emotional piece about Autumn Blaze and the Kirin. The tempo is moderately upbeat and juxtaposed nicely with somber overtones while both Shad3z and Agatan sing of the harsh reality that comes from not being able to speak to one another after a big fight.
Horse Music Herald 