Makes My Blood Dance (Single-Video) “Power of the Lightside”

There’s no such thing as a good rock song with a lackluster beat, and thus, Makes My Blood Dance weren’t about to issue their latest single and music video, “Power of the Lightside,” without a certain amount of acceptable indulgence submitted from behind the skins. In some ways, “Power of the Lightside” is as groove-oriented a number as it is a riff-wrecking machine; its percussive element sets forth the mood behind the searing melodies, and from rarely is there an instance in which the drums aren’t as loud in the mix as any other component is. Like every tool they utilize, rhythm is an agent of evocation for Makes My Blood Dance that this band won’t fail to exploit.

WEBSITE: http://makesmyblooddance.com/

The aesthetics of the music video for “Power of the Lightside” and the structure of the song itself definitely allude to glam-heavy influences, but the actual grit and grind of the instrumentation is as modern metal as it gets. I hear some Trivium in these guys, maybe a little post-Glenn Danzig Misfits and a whole lot of Ratt, and when fused together with a breakdown-free alternative metal construct for the hook, this cocktail produces a primal, anti-mainstream thrust that could have headlined Ozzfest fifteen years ago as easily as it could rule the rock airwaves today.

A hybrid that loves to be lawless with its artistic amalgamations, Makes My Blood Dance’s “Power of the Lightside” is a metal-infused lightning bolt that clarifies some elements of its creators’ persona without dismantling the mysticism that powers their brand image. Compositionally and cosmetically, this band is still ironing out their multifaceted blueprint for making rock beats sensational once more, but if you asked me where I think they’re going to be in just a year, I would tell you that they demonstrate enough wit and wisdom here to have penetrated the mainstream sphere by the time next summer rolls around.

Mindy McCall