Anchored | Listen To This

by Mark Allen
Staff Writer –

With riffs large enough to rattle a cruise ship and more hooks than a fishing derby, Anchored could very well be the next big thing in modern hard rock. Not because they’re particularly fresh or innovative or bring anything new to the game, but for exact opposite reasons —they’re precisely what fans of the genre have come to expect, they rarely deviate from the accepted formula, and they are about as experimental as a shy girl in bed with a guy for the first time.

So creativity is not in Anchored’s compositional structure, but that said, they play their chosen style of commercial rock very well. There is nothing rebellious or dangerous about them, dulling their credibility with the old-school crowd down to somewhere south of zero, but that is not the audience Anchored is aiming for. Instead, these guys are catering to the Nickelback crowd and that is exactly the crowd that will eat this up. In fact, the executives over at EMI Music chowed down on Anchored’s hard rock platter and liked the taste so much that they signed the band and plan to reissue this album with new artwork and a new marketing campaign on January 24, 2012.

The first single the band released as an indie unit was “Dirty in Texas” and if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then somewhere Chad Kroeger’s ego is massively tumescent, because the song borrows heavily from the Nickelback playbook. With its banging groove and powerfully infectious chorus, you can expect this song to soon be blaring in stripper joints all across the Lone Star State. A slightly altered version, called “Rowdy in Texas,” has already been licensed by the Dallas Cowboys so they can crank it up at home games, proof that the song is a certified arena rocker.

The band’s first single from their EMI Music rerelease is “Savior,” which the label is giving a major push with an “explicit” Hugh Heffner-approved music video featuring a gorgeous and at times topless Playboy model exposing flashes of R-rated skin. The lyrics match the sexuality: “Hey, pretty baby, won’t you come in / There’s always room for angels in my den of sin.” Hinder would definitely give this one the old thumbs up…though if they just finished watching the rather arousing video, you may want to ask them where those thumbs have been.

As the album progresses, you will hear some Skillet, some Burn Halo, some Saving Abel…you get the idea. Anchored makes no apology for targeting mainstream rock radio, borrowing from the biggest names in the genre because they want to be one of the biggest names in the genre. They slip in a little southern rock heat once in a while to spice things up but that is as cutting edge as it gets. Luckily, while they may not be doing anything different than a bazillion other bands have done before, they are doing it better than most. The front half of the album is better than the back—the band definitely blow their load around the midpoint—but even that is in keeping with modern rock trends, which tend to overload the front of albums with the radio hits and bloat the back with fluff and filler.

Bottom line, the band’s sound is firmly anchored on modern hard rock turf and this review can easily be summed up thusly: if you enjoy groups like Nickelback, Hinder, Black Stone Cherry, etc., then you’ll enjoy this one as well. But if you would rather amputate your ears with a hacksaw than punish them with modern rock that panders to the mainstream, well, either avoid this album like a vegan avoiding veal or head down to the tool section of your local hardware store.

Genre: Modern Hard Rock

Band:
Brandan Narrell (vocals)
Joel Estes (guitar, vocals)
Josh Franklin (bass, vocals)
Matt Clark (drums, vocals)
B.G. Simpson (guitar, vocals)

Track Listing
1. Dirty in Texas
2. Savior
3. We Had Everything
4. By Your Side
5. Last Night
6. Bad Timing
7. Save Me
8. All That
9. You
10. Miss Stress
11. My World

Webpage: www.getanchored.com

Label: Independent

Hardrock Haven rating: 7/10

Brandan Narrell of Anchored

by Deb Rao
Staff Writer

Hardrock Haven is proud to present an interview with singer Brandan Narrell of Anchored as he discusses the launching of Anchored and their upcoming release Listen To This.

Anchored is an exciting new band that hails from Dallas, Texas. They are bringing their special brand of southern hard rock on tour this Spring opening for Saliva. Anchored is gearing up for their debut release Listen To This. Their first video is “Dirty In Texas.”

Anchored have a sound that is reminiscent of Drowning Pool meets Pantera with a southern twang. They write good ol’ fashion songs about real life and everyday situations. There is nothing pretentious about this band. They are the real deal. Check them out at www.myspace.com/anchoredmusic.

HRH: Brandan, thank you for checking in with Hardrock Haven. Anchored performed in NYC last night at the Highland Ballroom with Saliva. What were some of the highlights from the show?

BRANDAN: It has always been a dream for me to play in New York. I got to visit 10 house and meet real heroes from 911. As for the show, the fans showed us a great time and embraced our southern sound. It was amazing to hear New Yorkers singing “Dirty In Texas” and we can’t wait to go back.

HRH: Anchored is actually on tour with Saliva. The band is hitting New England tonight. Tell us about the show and what the fans can expect to see this Texas rock band?

BRANDAN: Expect to see 5 guys pouring their hearts out on stage. Every song is true and has an emotional connection with each member so there is nothing fake about our performance. I think the crowd will detect that from the first note.

HRH: Are you enjoying being on the road with Saliva?

Brandan: For sure…the guys in Saliva have been super cool throughout this tour. They are Southern as well so it helps with the bonding phase of the tour. Someone is always BBQ’ing or playing pranks on each other. It definitely has been a wild ride so far.

HRH: Anchored is gearing up for your release Listen To This. Tell us about the writing process for this album?

BRANDAN: The album was written in my home studio over 3 weeks. I had the privilege of working with some great people on a couple of the tracks. “Dirty in Texas” was written by Geoff Byrd and myself over phone calls and e-mails back and forth as was a couple more with a very talented artist named Nash out of Montreal. Waymon Boone of Splender produced the record at the Batcave studios in Montreal, Canada and co wrote “We Had Everything”. I wrote songs like “Last Night,” “Save Me” “By Your Side” “Ms Stress” and the rest of the record at home.

HRH: The first single will be “Dirty In Texas.” Will there be a new video for this too?

BRANDAN: We actually already have the video out now on YouTube and it is being pitched to TV as we speak.

HRH: When is the release date for the album slated and what label is it on?

BRANDAN :It is being released on Trynd Entertainment and music group on iTunes in a week and in stores early July.

HRH: As a singer what kind of sound were you looking for in the studio on your debut CD?

BRANDAN: I wanted the record to have a southern feel with lots of melody and catchy hooks but also do so with more dirty raspy vocals that come more natural to me. I also wanted it to be not over produced on the vocal side so it would be more unique. I am a huge fan of Shaun Morgan of Seether and have always loved how his vocals aren’t over produced.

HRH: Now Anchored hail from Dallas, Texas. I was recently down that way at the Glass Cactus. Do you think your southern style shines through on this album?

BRANDAN: For sure. When you are in Texas it becomes a part of you. It is a state of great pride and I couldn’t help but write more southern orientated songs deep in the heart of Texas.

HRH: How is the music scene in Texas these days?

BRANDAN: The scene is packed full of hard working great bands that deserve a shot on the big stage. Hopefully with the direction music is moving now that will become a reality.

HRH: How would you describe the sound of Anchored?

BRANDAN: I describe it as Texas rock. It is real in your face good time rock n roll!

HRH: What does the title Listen To This denote to you?

BRANDAN: I have worked extremely hard for many years to ” get a shot” in this business and now that I have what I believe is the best record I’ve done, I simply want people to “listen to this”!

HRH: I read that Vinnie Paul of Hell Yeah recommended you as a singer for Drowning Pool when Dave Williams passed away? How did this transpire?

BRANDAN: I was asked to audition for Damageplan first and we all felt I would be a better fit with Drowning Pool. The reason it didn’t work out was because it was way to soon after Dave’s passing. They also thought that my voice and appearance resembled Dave’s and it was too much to soon. We are all still friends and I wish them nothing but success.

HRH: Do you have any final thoughts on the new album?

BRANDAN: Simply stated…listen to it and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I was an honor to write a song about the great state of Texas and get to write an album I’ve always wanted to write…an honest and fun rock record. Thanks for your time and I’ll see ya on the road!

Anchored Tour Dates:
BUZZFEST 2010 @ The Woodlands Pavilion Houston, Texas , US
May 4 2010 8:00P
Freebird Live w/ Saliva Jacksonville Beach, Florida , US
May 5 2010 8:00P
Firestone w/ Saliva Orlando, Florida , US
May 6 2010 8:00P
The Music Farm w/ Saliva Charleston, South Caro, US
May 7 2010 8:00P
Hooligans w/ Saliva Jacksonville, North Caro, US
May 8 2010 8:00P
The Rock Shop w/ Saliva Fayetville, North Caro, US
May 9 2010 8:00P
The Masquerade w/ Saliva Atlanta, Georgia , US
May 11 2010 8:00P
Soul Kitchen w/ Saliva Mobile, Alabama , US
May 12 2010 8:00P
Strange Days w/ Saliva Montgomery, Alabama , US
May 13 2010 8:00P
Sammy T’s w/ Saliva Huntsville, Alabama , US
May 14 2010 8:00P
Club Fire w/ Saliva Jackson, Mississipp, US