Carousel – “Man Like Me” (audio) (premiere)

Indebted to the melodic heavy rock of Thin Lizzy and the vintage heavy metal sounds of Diamond Head and Angel Witch, Pittsburgh band Carousel might seem like throwbacks, but classic sounds never get old, and their approach to the styles is refreshingly vibrant. The music might be brisk, but like the bands 35, 40 years ago, melody is just as or even more important than aggression, and as you can hear on “Man Like Me” from their forthcoming second album 2113, they know their way around a good hook or two.

“‘Man Like Me’ is A nice swampy midtempo song with an unusual bridge near the end and some busy drumming,” says drummer Jake Leger. “It’s one of my favorites on the new record and kind of evokes a dark and stormy mood.”

Adds guitarist/singer Dave Wheeler, “‘Man Like Me’ is indicative of my favorite songwriting approach, which is to get as much mileage out of one idea as possible. There are three interpretations of the same melody throughout the song, which I think prevents it from becoming stale and creates a theme that ties the whole thing together.”

2113 will be released 21 August on Tee Pee.