You ever just find an “instant groove” with a band? It’s an amazing feeling, isn’t it? Everything falls into place that while each moment is new, it just feels like home to you. Song after song, you just get pulled into the music with your smile growing larger with each passing note. Smackbound, welcome to my life!
Now, quick google search on “just who is this “smackbound” I can’t stop listening to? Well, from Nordicmetal.net (and “Nordic” was all I needed to hear to realize where the “feels like home” came from) it all became clear. Let’s face it, Nordic metal like this is my life’s theme song.
It is, NOW, anyway.
So, how did this happen so quickly? Well, there I was, minding my own musical business on Spotify when the platform threw me a curve ball.
Suddenly, I hear a beautiful melodic wailing “I think we both know it”, then the band dramatically kicks in and then, the ride begins into one of the most amazing songs of the year so far in Change. The powerful melodic vocals of Netta Laurenne combined with some of the most lyrical story telling in music I’ve found, creates some incredible music that’s already found its way into our rotation time and time again.
Now, while Change will own the title of “favorite song” for a while now, the competition for that title wasn’t over from Smackbound. The next song up was Drive it Like You Stole it since it is their top play.
Wow.
And then, for the trifecta of introductory songs to a new band – I can’t resist – “Hey Motherfuckers”.
Your stereo damn well better go to 11 before you attempt to listen to Smackbound.
However, they can flip it also. While you’re finding yourself in need of an emotional breather, songs like The Game come on and show a totally different side of this band. Same sound, same intensity – same “whisper with the power of a scream” kinda feeling.
I’ve already raided i-tunes for whatever music I can get from this band for now. Fow now, on Spotify you will find (2) releases, 20/20 from 2020 (i just caught that) and then Hostage released in 2023, containing my favorite song, Change. I don’t see any tour information, and this breaks my nordic-wanna-be-heart.
And while digging, I do find not much happening with this band currently and that also breaks my heart.
Again.
Maybe things are not over for this band. You can find them on Facebook but not very active, unfortunately. Now, while there may not be new music in the immediate future (I will keep my own hope alive, thank you very much), you can still rock out to some of the most incredible melodic metal I’ve ever had the pleasure to find.
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