LT1KF

Gary Dranow’s “Self-Sacrafice”

Gary Dranow "Self Sacrifice" Artwork

Gary Dranow my goodness. His Alt-Rock project has been unleashing a cascade of brilliant, rocking singles over the course of the last couple of months. I, as well as other staff writers here at LT1KF have scrambled to cover the multitude of releases that have dropped this year. It’s only February and he, along with band The Manic Emotions, have dropped twenty-four singles so far this year by my count. 24 for 24!

I staked claim in today’s review, “Self Sacrafice,” and the one word I keep coming back to in describing it is “compelling.” As I listen to it, I get a lot of nostalgic feelings around a sound that takes me back to an early 2000’s “dot” radio station era. I think you guys remember that, right?

Before the days of streaming and everything was on the radio, you usually had a Hard Rock station somewhere in the mix, branded as “the dot” station. “Dot 5 – the ROCK” or something like that, right? In my case, my hometown’s Hard Rock radio station literally referred to themeselves as “the dot.” And that’s what this single reminds me of: a juicy, hard rockin’ melodic anthem that would sit very well with fans of band’s like Adelita’s Way, Edema, Fuel, and Oleander.

I appreciate the dark piano arpeggio during the verses, reminds me of a cool “quiet/loud” dynamic deployed by artists like Evanescence. The production is very slick, the kicks on the drum kit slice right through the track and heavy riffing bridges the tune from part to part of the arrangment. Sounds huge.

The vocal performance is emotive and moving. Lyrically, the band has described the song as one that focuses on “self-discovery, emotions, and self-reflection.” Indeed, there is a lot of wording that implies an inner conflict / turmoil in the lyrics. Big time recommendation for any of the aforementioned bands and Alternative Rock music.

Gary Dranow and The Manic Emotions is a project that is a pooling of talent across three countries: The United States, Australia, and Ukraine. Each member has a unique background and distinct ranges of influence, the squad is a remarkable example of what is possible to achieve with technological capabilities. The working rapport among them is creative and refreshing, and there seems to be no stopping them in 2024!

“Music is more than just notes and lyrics; it’s a medium to express the depth of human emotions and experiences. ‘[Self Sacrifice]’ is our tribute to the enduring power of friendship and the healing that can come from sharing our passions and creativity with those we care about deeply.”

Gary Dranow

Tune in to AMS Radio Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays to the LT1KF Indie Hour at 6pm Pacific to hear more from Gary Dranow as well as other artists reviewed here on the blog!

Band and production credits:

  • Gary Dranow: A multi-talented artist, serving as Composer, Writer, Lyricist, and Guitarist. Gary’s journey from professional skiing and entrepreneurship to music is a testament to his passion.
  • Chris Zoupa: An Arranger, Guitarist, and Bassist known for his instrumental proficiency and exceptional arrangement skills. Chris is also the guitarist for the Australian Progressive Rock group Teramaze.
  • Jason Jones: A versatile talent, Jason takes on roles as Producer, Mixer, Master, Vocalist, and Drummer. His production expertise significantly shapes the band’s unique sound.
  • Roman Burda: Bringing his Blues Harp and Blues Harp Parts to the mix, Roman hails from Lviv, Ukraine, introduced to Gary by their shared Blues Harp instructor, Grammy-nominated David Barrett.
  • Klim Apalkov: Originally from Kaniv, Ukraine, Klim holds a master’s degree in music. He brings vocal prowess, keyboard mastery, and arranging skills to the band, leading the group Midgard.
  • Roman Kuznetsov: Also hailing from Kaniv, Ukraine, Roman contributes his skills as a Guitarist and Sound Engineer, collaborating with both Klim Apalkov in Midgard and Gary Dranow on several projects, including the “Harold’s Bagel Morning” album.

Don’t forget to support this project and follow Gary Dranow on Instagram, Facebook, SoundCloud, YouTube, Apple Music, and Spotify. You can also visit their official website. If you enjoy their music and can provide monetary support, you might consider downloading it on Bandcamp; for virtual concerts, you can go to songkick“Live from their sofa to yours”.

It also helps to stream and share their music; you can find this track in the following Playlists: Fresh Singles, Alterindie State Of Mind, Unknown But Essentials!, Sickest & Dopest, and Hot Stuff Metal.

Remember that you can always find me here AMS Radio for all my social media and collaborations.

P.S. If you enjoy discovering new artists and brand-new music, subscribe to this blog Less Than 1,000 Followers, and follow the Playlist with all the artists we have presented here!

If you enjoy this track don’t forget to give it a green heart when you’re on Spotify and add it to your favorite playlist. This little action not only saves the track on your music library but also will help the artist, you know that the game’s name for us is “support”. Thank you!!!

FOR MORE BY GARY DRANOW CLICK HERE

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