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!
Rock
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.
[P@D] Reverbrony – The Orca’s Mercy | Metal/Instrumental
Reverbrony is well-known for his powerful metal tracks. Featured on the new Ponies at Dawn: Skyward compilation album, The Ocra’s Mercy is a heavy hitting piece that prominently features Reverb’s talent for layering lead guitars with the rhythmic tracks. The swift-moving riffs on top of each other create a pretty cool spinning sensation with the sound and the creative use of harmonics in the outro are just a couple of the incredible features you can look forward to with this song!
Crusader! – Cafeteria Song (Covering Daniel Ingram) | Pop Rock
Going from one inspiration to the next, Crusader’s newest treat is a rocking rendition of the cherished Cafeteria Song from the first EQG movie, and it does wonders with an energetic beat, cute vocals, and the blissful sound of guitars! One More!
SDreamExplorerS – Ephemeral II: Parallels | Album | Prog Rock / Prog Metal
SDreamExplorerS’ newest album is here, and boy does it deliver! Always sparked from deep experiences and pony inspirations, and calling the listener to reflect, this one takes us on quite the unique journey as it features such a wide array of genres! And you can tell how much love has been poured into each of the tracks, ranging from Progressive Metal to Ambient to Samba to Jazz and even to crazy bass play! (Perhaps there needs to be a new genre to fit to Soul’s unique musical endeavors in these!) An impressive compilation of reflections and meticulously crafted masterpieces that is just a must-have! Grab your copy from a Bandcamp near you!
Flittzy – Where the Days Have Gone | Alternative Rock
You can always expect something fantastic from Flittzy and this time, it comes with a lot of sentimentality! Fresh off the new Ponies at Dawn: Skyward compilation, Where the Days Have Gone is a touching piece detailing Flittzy’s love for this fandom. The song begins with a fantastic opening piano melody with violins accompanying. The track uses the piano with rock guitars throughout and makes for a well-stylized sound! Flittzy’s always excellent vocals reverberate his message about how fast time seems to move.
[P@D] L-Train & TheMusicReborn – Once And Future Heroes | Metal/Jazz Fusion
If you haven’t downloaded Ponies at Dawn: Skyward yet, you really should. The album is filled with great quality music from such diverse producers, and Once And Future Heroes may be the best example of just that! L-Train teams up with TheMusicReborn to bring a powerhouse combination of epic metal with a big-toned trumpet to create a heroic anthem for our main protagonists. The pacing is incredible as the track contains so much energy, and never gets sloppy with the flow. The controlled tempo builds beautifully as the trumpet lets loose a powerful leading tone, complimenting the rest of the mix in a very moving, unique piece!
Horse Music Herald 