Breaking Free: A Review of ‘These Chains’ by Byron Daniel and the Five Dead Dogs

New music always makes me happy, and today, I have a new track from Byron Daniel and The Five Dead Dogs, a band from Southeast Louisiana.

‘These Chains’ is an amalgamation of everything good in music. It’s got soul, fuzz, thundering bass, and a great groove. Reminds me of a modern incarnation of The Allman Brothers. It’s classic rock with a twist that gets your head nodding. “Rural Infused Sweat Rock” is how the band describes their music, and I have to say I agree. That is one of the most descriptive terms I have heard to describe music ever.

When asked about the recording process for the new material, lead vox Byron Daniel said, “We recorded this song with Bryon Knight at Melancholy Mixing and Mastering. I played an acoustic show with Bryon, and he told me about his studio. Shortly after, I heard a single that Bryon had done for a band called She Might Be a Beast and really loved it. He was a pro and very easy to work with.”

‘These Chains’ begins with a smooth and mellow vibe when Byron’s weathered and raspy vocals kick in. This man’s voice is full of so much soul and depth. Because of his vocal delivery, he is one of my favorite local frontmen, and even though I have not caught them live yet, I hope to in the future.

With catchy lyrics, Byron said of the lyrical inspiration behind the song, “The inspiration comes from my upbringing and the people that have kind of come and gone out of my life. ‘These Chains’ is just about partying and using rock n’ roll to break free of small-town syndrome. Most of my writing is just me trying to accept who I am, what I’m doing, and what I’ve done.”

One of the best parts of the song is the guitar tone on the solo from 2:15 to 2:47. Wow, it knocked me on my ass because it doesn’t come at you all at once; no, it builds to a powerful crescendo. ‘These Chains’ is an enjoyable track from start to finish, but I insist you listen to it loud in your car with the windows down while driving a long, windy country road. With plans to release a full album in the future, the band will be hitting the road in October to bring their sound to the masses, so keep your eyes and ears open.

“Definitely excited to be branching out and doing some shows in Baton Rouge and Lafayette. We spend most of our time in New Orleans or on the north shore, so we’re stoked to be seeing some new faces and converting some folks to the ways of Sweat Rock! We are looking to have our album ‘Armadillo Soup’ out by 2025. We will certainly be releasing a single or two before that.” 

‘These Chains’ by Byron Daniel and the Five Dead Dogs is a powerful, emotionally charged track that showcases true musical craftsmanship and stays with you long after the first listen, so do yourself a favor and go stream it today.

Upcoming Shows:

To learn more about Byron Daniel and the Five Dead Dogs, just hit one of the links below:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ByronDMusic/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bdandtfdd/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6NUAE8mTYyxW3FLMaKmfu7

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/byron-daniel-and-the-five-dead-dogs/1546819944

Questions or comments? Reach out to mixedalternativemag@gmail.com