There is this assumption that alternative rock happened because classic rock was somehow no longer fit for purpose. That it wasn’t moving with the times and that some sort of new direction was needed to keep up with the changing tastes and trends in the modern rock music scene. Well, I don’t think that was the case at all, and proof that those iconic moves and classic grooves still have a part to play can be found, to no small degree, in bands such as Blind Man’s Daughter.
Sure, the band might have pushed things to the heavier end of the spectrum, bulldozing their way into more metal territory, but they have simultaneously turned on the technical charm and embraced a grander, more cinematic sonic approach and, as a result, “One Life Down,” their latest single, contains all the elements that made old school hard rock and heavy metal so great in the first place.
The riffs are raucous and robust, the guitars are raw and incendiary, the depth-charge bass lines are seismic, and the drums come on like a musical tsunami. But, it is Ashley Wolfe’s vocal prowess that captures the limelight, powerful enough to make itself heard amongst the byzantine spirals of music and sonic shockwaves that blast their way across the musical landscape.
“One Life Down” sits at the current end of the classic rock family tree, the branch that saw it evolve naturally, becoming both muscular and melodic on its own creative juices. And it might just be the proof I’m looking for to suggest that alternative rock wasn’t needed, such a pre-meditated and calculated move was the antithesis of rocks evolution. As they say, if it aint broke, don’t fix it. Listen to “One Life Down” and ask yourself this question? Does it sound as if anything was broken to you? Me neither.
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