Through his new collaborative modern rock project, Asteron, a seasoned producer and musician Tommy Hatz brings to us his new single Love Bites. A powerful testament to Hatz’s ability to combine the high-powered energy of synthetic rock, with the raw and intense vocals of one Linn Holmes, Love Bites is a modern rock triumph. The lyrics are filled with passion and an almost sort of anger at the hardships of love, exemplified by Holmes’ enchanting, almost siren-like voice, while the music unrelentlessly drives forward, and leads the listener through haunting verses, and head-thrashing choruses.
Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Tommy Hatz, less informally known as Tom Hatziemanouel is no stranger to the music industry. He is a jack of all trades, being adept in producing, songwriting, playing and audio engineering. He’s worked with the likes of Chuck Wright (Quiet Riot, Alice Cooper), Patrick Droney, Jimmy Gnecco (Ours), and Whitney Tai. Though he began work in the music industry as a guitarist for Micheal Graves, he’s more well-known as the guitarist and long-time member of the band Professional Murder Music. This new song comes from his new collaborative project, Asteron. With the likes of Linn Holmes on vocals, Jake Courlang on bass, and Christopher J. Olivas on drums, Love Bites is the 2nd release from Asteron, but it is sure to not be the last. The aforementioned Linn Holmes is also based in Los Angeles and is a household name in the LA rock scene.
Now onto the music. It would be hard to review this song without mentioning Linn Holmes’ absolutely phenomenal singing. Her voice is extremely passionate and powerful and almost is reminiscent of sirens luring sailors to their deaths. Her singing adds an atmosphere to the song of passion and longing, which fits perfectly with the theme of the lyrics. In the verses, Holmes‘ singing provides so much, that there is little need for too many instruments. The composition we do hear is simple, yet haunting and almost futuristic. With a pounding drum beat, and an almost sci-fi-esque synthesization, Hatz creates a haunting melody. The bridge is unique and sets a different tone from the beginning verses. This is in part due to the key change between the verse and the bridge. The verses seem to be in a minor key, giving it that angry, almost haunting feel, while the bridge is changed to a major key, changing the tone away from anger, and more towards longing and desire. This technique of changing keys from minor to major and vice versa is one used by many famous musicians and bands, including Alice in Chains, and The Beatles. Hatz expertly uses this change to show a shift in tone in the music. The change in tone showcases many of the themes Hatz writes in the lyrics, like how love can bite and hurt but can also be filled with passion and longing. The chorus comes quickly and is accompanied by powerful guitar chords, and even more passion-filled singing from Holmes. This part is surely enough to get anybody on their feet and paying attention, as the song quickly changes tone again to the soulful verses. The lyrics are full of passion, and you can tell they were written from the heart. The main theme is about how love is full of desire and longing, and how quickly this can hurt, or more appropriately, how it can bite. This is a sentiment that is surely shared by many and is only exemplified by Holmes’ powerful singing, and Hatz’s passionate songwriting. The song is captivating and powerful and is sure to touch the hearts of all who hear it. It is a strong reminder of the fragility of love and the bittersweet nature of its joy.
Love Bites by Asteron is a modern rock triumph that showcases the talents of Tommy Hatz and the powerful vocals of Linn Holmes. Through a haunting melody and passionate lyrics, the song captures the raw emotions of love and its ability to both bring joy and cause pain. With this new release, Asteron proves that they are a force to be reckoned with in the music industry, and we can only hope for more powerful and captivating songs in the future.
FOLLOW LINN HOLMES ON INSTAGRAM // SPOTIFY
FOLLOW TOMMY HATZ ON INSTAGRAM // YOUTUBE
Leave a Reply