ROCKSTAR73NC - Metal Thrall
Vic Hosking, known as ROCKSTAR73NC, is an experienced metal musician. With a sound that is uniquely his own, ROCKSTAR73NC produces metal music that is very different from what many musicians are out there doing today; you can hear some of the influence of legends like Dee Snider, Alice Cooper and Dave Mustaine in ROCKSTAR73NC’s music, though he is intent on doing his own thing. Today we take a run through some of the tracks that we can expect to find on ROCKSTAR73NC’s upcoming album, Metal Thrall.
The first track we listened to was “Till the End” which opens with an attention-grabbing spoken word segment as the guitar slowly kicks in. This one really kicks in with an excellent metal scream and the guitar riff shortly thereafter, providing a ton of pure electricity. Lyrically, the track runs us through a conversation with the “demon” inside the singer’s head, setting up some delightful insanity that could only be captured so skillfully in a metal song like this one. The guitar work in the latter portion of the song is also excellent, with superb solo work really bringing things home. ROCKSTAR73NC teamed up with Brenner on this one and the two combined to create an excellent tune. You can find “Till the End” by clicking here: https://www.songtradr.com/songs/rockstar73nc/till-the-end
Up next is “Tell Me”, which continues the theme about the demon living inside of us. An impassioned song, ROCKSTAR73NC really plays up the conflict with the demon in this song as he sings about trying to be a good person though the demon sometimes comes out. Throughout the song, it feels like we are listening to a struggling, tortured soul who is being overcome by the monster within and from a conceptual standpoint, ROCKSTAR73NC executes on this idea perfectly. Leo Juarez as well as guest vocalists Ashley Wallace and Edith Eliason all helped ROCKSTAR73NC with this one and I think that, overall, this song is one that will encourage you to think. You can listen to “Tell Me” here: https://www.songtradr.com/songs/rockstar73nc/tell-me
“Run Run Run” is the third original we’re exploring today. This track features some gritty riffage and is another stirring example of ROCKSTAR73NC’s unique spoken-word performing style. Lyrically, this song plays out in a storytelling manner, a bit of a change from the direct, in-the-moment confrontation that the first two tracks presented, showing off ROCKSTAR73NC’s writing diversity. This track continues the dark atmosphere presented by the previous songs and ROCKSTAR73NC again sells this thematic brilliantly, really capturing an essence of darkness that I found impressive. Of note is that the “female” vocals you hear in this song are actually ROCKSTAR73NC himself, utilizing some voice modification. You can find “Run Run Run” here: https://www.songtradr.com/songs/rockstar73nc/run-run-run-final
Also a part of the Metal Thrall project are a few cover songs; we took a listen to “Captain Howdy”, originally by Twisted Sister, “Stand By For Pain” by Widowmaker and “If My Mind is Evil” by White Lion. Showing an appreciation for Dee Snider with two of these three tracks, ROCKSTAR73NC also does an excellent job of capturing the essence of the original versions of these songs while putting enough of his own signature spin on things to keep things fresh even if you have listened to the original versions many times in the past. You can find “Captain Howdy” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J6MdSfJIa0, “Stand By For Pain” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3_dX_3LmqU and you can find “If My Mind is Evil” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvDbpqEDYVI
If you’re looking for some splendidly gritty, grimy and downright electrifying metal then ROCKSTAR73NC and Metal Thrall are exactly what you’re looking for. I cannot help but be reminded of experimental musicians of the past when listening to ROCKSTAR73NC and each track from this artist is surprising and enjoyable. You can find ROCKSTAR73NC’s original music on Songtradr - which is the best place to find his music currently - and all of his music on YouTube. We hope you keep an eye out for Metal Thrall’s official release and give our friend ROCKSTAR73NC some love!
