Founded in September 2008, Third Law of Motion is the newest signee to Maurice the Fish Records. With their melodic hard rock sound, the band is a new species of “Fish” in Maurice’s “fish bowl,” bringing electric steel and metal-worthy vocals to the label’s variety of acoustic, funk, rock and indie artists.
Third Law of Motion takes listeners back to the golden age of grungy 1990s metal – think Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots. But there is a quality to their music that breaks away from the expected into their own signature sound of power metal with plenty of memorable hooks. All songs on the CD were written by lead vocalist/guitarist Mike Hahn.
The title track kicks the CD off with an air raid siren and crunchy dual-rhythm guitars. The lyrics are not a collection of metal clichés, but instead reveal the story of a young man who is feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders and he is about to blow. “Can’t take the weight of the world on my own,” Hahn sings, and his voice is strong and clear.
“Echo” is about getting out of your head to let go of the past before it destroys you. The sounds of an increasingly loud mob in the background add urgency to the song, as if something is coming, bearing down. “Haunting are the echoes in your mind/ you know you should move on.”
“September Morning” is an authentic power ballad to raise a lighter to. “I woke up one September morning/ this was the first morning/ you were gone and it hit me with the pain….” It is a song about loss, but with assurance that someone who cares is watching, encouraging. “You need to carry on/ do the best that you can do.” Hahn’s vocals give the song raw emotion.
The CD’s final track, “Drowned,” is a commentary on the rat race and trying to keep up with life. “…the challenges that make us all men/ asked the defining question/ ‘boy, will you sink or will you swim?....’” The song, and album, ends with this sage advice: “...embrace the path that life engages/ ‘cause I know that there’s a better way/ for a better day.”
Catch Third Law of Motion live at an all-ages showJune 17, at Louie G’s Pizzeria in Fife (5219 Pacific Hwy. E.), 8 p.m. On July 10 the band plays the new rock venue Backstage Bar and Grill in Tacoma (6409 6th Ave.). Download “Weight of the World” on Amazon.com.
