Heavy Song of the Week is a feature on Heavy Consequence breaking down the top metal and hard rock tracks you need to hear every Friday. This week, the honor goes to “Loyal to the Lie” by Mick Mars.
Mick Mars, the founding and former guitarist of Mötley Crüe, surprised us all this week when he announced his debut solo album, The Other Side of Mars.
One might expect the project to sound like an extension of his work with the Crüe, but lead single “Loyal to the Lie” teases an altogether different sound for the 72-year-old guitarist. This is full-on alternative metal, with a clean, modern production style that emphasizes melody and Mars’ axework, which is sharp and toneful.
Bolstered by impressive vocal work by free-agent singer Jacob Bunton, the song could easily slot-in on current hard rock and metal radio formats, and that’s more than Mötley Crüe can attest to at the moment. Band beef aside, we’re just glad Mars has had a creative outlet as a distraction from the ongoing drama and current estrangement with his longtime bandmates.
Honorable Mentions:
Ministry – “Just Stop Oil”
Al Jourgensen’s relentless assault on the sociopolitical status quo continues with the new Ministry song “Just Stop Oil,” the second single from the legendary industrial band’s upcoming album, HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES, due March 1st. The new tune is a throwback to the band’s late ’80s / early ’90s heyday, with Jourgensen delivering whisper-y verses over an intense beat, with a classic industrial chant of “Disaster” and plenty of sampling to boot. Jourgensen says of the track, “Ministry approves this message and the movement behind it. ENOUGH is ENOUGH!” Hey Al, we approve of this song!
Mortuary Drape – “Into the Oblivion”
Italian black metal legends Mortuary Drape have returned with their first album in nearly 10 years, titled Black Mirror, and it’s a crushingly grim offering that is befitting of the band’s storied legacy. The dynamic “Into the Oblivion” stood out on our first listen, with its arpeggiated intro leading into a satisfying bout of thrashy, doomed-out black metal. Sonically, it’s clean and hits hard (no lo-fi anti-production here), highlighting a fine comeback LP for the Italian occultists.
Narrow Head – “Medicine”
Narrow Head’s side of their new split single with Momma could conceivably appeal to both fans of Local H and Pavement. The lanky riffs and irreverent lines of melody evoke the latter, but Narrow Head have their amps cranked, rendering something more in the vein of Local H’s post-grunge. Meanwhile, the chorus lands squarely in the realm of Smashing Pumpkins’ Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. If all those ’90s alt-rock references are to your sensibilities, then we suggest giving Narrow Head a nod. They’ve got the sound down.