Sixty Miles Down – “The Fear Is Real” / “She Burns”
Sixty Miles Down – “The Fear Is Real” / “She Burns” – Singles Review
Well jeez…how crazy is that? You write about a band long enough and you just assume you’ve been blabbing all about’em right here on the homepage – but this is apparently the first time we’ve ever had Sixty Miles Down in an official review! Pretty sure I’ve been listening to this band since back around 2018 from what I can recall…and I doubt anyone out there would be more surprised than me, myself, and I to find out this is the first time I’ve actually reviewed their music instead of whatever it is that I’ve done in the past with’em. Anyhow! Let’s fix that today, and dig into two of their latest singles – I’ve got “The Fear Is Real”, a single from towards the end of last year, and a brand-new cut called “She Burns” that has yet to be released, dropping online just around the corner this year on June 13th.
As far as I remember, “The Fear Is Real” is the last track to feature the former lineup of the band as a three-piece unit – and trust me when I tell ya, they laid down a serious barn-burner with this track. John Mosco, the main engine behind what you’ll hear in Sixty Miles Down, is a savage beast that knows how to get the most out of his music…you’ll find him on the vocals, drums, and rhythm guitar. Jay Brachman crushes the bass for ya, and on “The Fear Is Real,” you’ve got the final appearance of Dave Crum on the lead guitar. All-in-all, they attacked this track with punishing sound and a positive message behind it all – “The Fear Is Real” ain’t about cowering in the corner y’all, it’s actually about getting out there to kick some ass on this one life you’ve got to lead. Sage advice to say the least…and with this cut as your own personal soundtrack, you shouldn’t have any problem at all puttin’ on them heavy boots to go stomp the soil of this planet with the full weight of conviction, and a determination to leave your mark on it all. If you’re into your Hard Rock/Alt-Metal – Sixty Miles Down served up a powerful cut with this previous single…from its Alice In Chains-esque harmonies, to the gripping rip of its whole rhythm and pulse, the ferocious energy of “The Fear Is Real” never lets up from the time it starts, to its smoldering hot finish. A solid reminder that the time we’ve got is limited and that we should make the most of every minute, I’m inclined to agree with the sentiment Sixty Miles Down has woven into this single, and as far as the sound goes – I’m here for it. The explosive combination of true grit and grinding guitars is certainly well worth your time to listen to, and its single-worthy status is fully justified as far as my ears are concerned.
“She Burns” doesn’t officially arrive online for another couple weeks or so, with a release date of June 13th currently set. Ultimately, you can hear Sixty Miles Down bending their sound towards an arguably more accessible direction, almost as if it was born right out of the moment where Metal-met-Grunge back in the early 90s, giving you a bit of the best of both worlds but not committing to either one as its dominant trait. All-in-all though, you can hear hooks that’ll have no problem connecting to the potential audience out there listening, “She Burns” features a stellar vocal rhythm & flow designed by Mosco, and I’d imagine that he’s likely created what’ll quickly become a fan favorite with this new single. With the band itself having shrunk by a third for this latest cut, which has Mosco on vocals/drums/guitar and Jay Brachman on the bass, I’d reckon folks out there will be impressed with what they hear and their longtime supporters won’t feel like they’ve lost a step. If anything, there’s a good chance that “She Burns” could expand their audience even further in my opinion…I think a lot of us might dig on the pure fireball energy & ferocity they brought to “The Fear Is Real,” but if we’re talking about which track would stand the most chance to appeal to the masses overall, I think this new one would win hands down. “She Burns” has a recipe to it that’s tried, tested, and true, simple as that. Admittedly, it’s probably a little less identifiable to the Sixty Miles Down sound you know, but on a conceptual level, they supply that familiarity by digging deep into a twisted tale that is very much like what Mosco loves to write. In his words, “She Burns” is about “a girl stalking the singer of her favorite band. She bumps into him on purpose in the street and invites him back to her place. She ends up knocking him unconscious. She ties him up and when he wakes up he’s tied to a chair and has a microphone in front of his face. She wants him to sing to her but he’s too out of it. She loses interest and ends up finishing him off with another blow to the head.” I know what you’re thinking…it’s just like the sentiment you find in all the Hallmark cards you pass in your favorite department stores. LOL. For real – that’s creative stuff from Sixty Miles Down, and for as twisted of a tale as it creates, that’s the kind of writing that warrants some attention. Or at the very least, perhaps a wellness check? I dig it though…it’s like a musician’s version of the movie Misery, and it’s a concept that has no problem revealing itself to us as we listen to this new 60MD single.
Their performance and quality all checks out…sounds like the band is in for a significant win as they head into this next chapter of its legacy ahead. Keep your eyes peeled for the video that’ll be supporting “She Burns” coming out this summer, and make sure to get your ears around it when it’s released June 13th on all major music platforms online – both events that occur prior to the release of the new album, rumored to be coming out in the fall of 2023 as they surge through a groundbreaking year. Stay tuned into the details and find out more about Sixty Miles Down at their official website at: https://60md.com
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