🎙️ Songs That Don’t Suck, Ep. 95: Protest, Pittsburgh, and Passion Over Perfection

Welcome back to another cathartic episode of Songs That Don’t Suck. This week, Mark Bradbourne is looking for a spark—and hoping rock music is ready to give it. With recent events setting the world on edge, this episode leans into rage, release, and raw power, delivered through music that refuses to be soft.

😡 A Prayer and a Profanity: Can Rock Rise Again?

Mark starts with the kind of emotional gut punch we all feel right now:

“The only good thing that can happen at this point is that rock has a long overdue resurgence.”

Referencing Alan Cross’s idea of the 13-year rock/pop cycle (which seemed to halt around 2008), Mark wonders if the time has come again—for real, pissed-off protest music. With streaming algorithms neutering edge and emotion, we’re overdue for a sonic rebellion.

🤘 Iron Maiden in Pittsburgh: A Concert Worth the Trip

Fresh off the back of a stunning Cleveland Orchestra show, Mark swung 180° into the arms of Iron Maiden—and it did not disappoint.

Opening Act: The Hu

• Mongolian folk metal
• Traditional instruments + amps = chaos in the best way
• Tibetan throat singing + war chants = primal joy
• 🎤 Language barrier? Didn’t matter—crowd still roared along

“You need to experience them live. Trust me.”

Maiden’s Setlist Highlights:

• 📀 33% Somewhere in Time (Mark’s personal favorite album)
• 🧪 33% Senjutsu for the “Future Past” tour theme
• 🎸 One track each from Seventh Son, Fear of the Dark, Peace of Mind, Number of the Beast, and their debut
• 👕 Bruce wore a leather jacket for one song—possibly a quiet tribute to Paul Di’Anno
• 🥁 Nico’s drumming showed signs of stroke recovery—but the man’s still a beast

“Bruce held a note for three and a half forevers… then fist bumped himself walking offstage. Legend.”

🎶 This Week’s 3 Songs That Don’t Suck (Because the Rest Did)

Mark dug through hundreds of releases—twice—and came out with three worth your time (and volume knob). All hit with grit, growl, and unfiltered emotion.

1. Jekyll – “Plasticine”

🧨 Alt Rock | Heavy Riffs | Falsetto Fire
The song smacks you immediately with forward bass and drums, then layers in Muse-style falsetto, Royal Blood chunk, and even a keyboard surprise in the chorus. Think Placebo with beefier guitars.

🎧 Mood match: Angry, angsty, and impeccably arranged.

2. Shaka Ponk – “Hell of a Sad Song”

⚡ Punk Metal | Dual Vocals | Siren Wails
Motorhead energy meets male/female vocal interplay in this remastered aggression storm. There’s even a siren—wait, no, that’s the vocalist. This one bombs its way through your speakers.

🎧 Mark’s mood: “This was a bombing run of musical aggression—and I was ready.”

3. Arcy Drive – “Under the Rug”

🎙️ Garage Rock | Lo-Fi Rawness | Cage the Elephant Energy
Not as aggressive, but packed with gritty, emotional performance. The production feels live, imperfect, alive. Mark calls it “perfection in imperfection.”

🎧 Takeaway: Sometimes raw > polished. This is rock that bleeds.

🧼 Final Thought: Passion Over Polish

“I’d rather feel the passion behind a song than have it be spotless and lifeless.”

In a week where everything felt broken, these tracks delivered noise, soul, and sincerity. And that’s exactly what we need more of—especially in rock.

📸 …and I quote…

❝ I wanted to be angry and listen to angry music. It’s not angry—it just has balls and chunk. ❞
— Mark Bradbourne, Songs That Don’t Suck 💢🎶