Nostalgia has a way of making the highlights of yesteryear shine brightly, while at the same time withering away the harsh edges of difficult times. Plenty of songs have been written about the nostalgic moments of youth that make you wistful for your own childhood when you listen to them. If you listened to “Remember When” by Bad Wolves without paying attention to the lyrics, you may get that same kind of feeling. Though the song has an upbeat vibe, the story behind the lyrics does not inspire a joyful walk down memory lane.
Frontman Tommy Vext deserves a lot of credit for sharing this tragic tale of twin brothers taking divergent paths in life. Vext chose the path of music and sobriety. His twin brother chose the path of being a drug addict and dealer. Their two worlds collided in 2010 when Vext’s brother broke into his apartment, struck him in the head with a crowbar, fractured his skull, broke his arm, and beat him so badly that his spleen burst. It’s a miracle that he lived to tell the story in a song nearly a decade later. His brother ended up getting a 17-year prison sentence for attempted murder. Unable to save his brother, Vext was driven to become a sober companion to help other families…the silver lining in an otherwise ominous dark cloud.
Although the song might be looked at as sad or depressing, in a way, it’s actually an uplifting reminder that our choices shape our future. Once again, there seems to be a Yin and Yang at play here, where joy and pain coexist. “Zombie” is the song that put Bad Wolves on the map. The success of their inspired cover has to feel bittersweet given the fact that Dolores O’Riordan was supposed to contribute vocals on the day of her tragic passing. “Remember When” is an outstanding song that may very well end up being another hit, but the success will be bittersweet because of the inspiration for the lyrics.
The Glorious Sons remain on top with a lead of over 200 spins. It would be surprising if “S.O.S.” does any better than modest gains again next week. They’ve reached the point where songs tend to peak before hitting a plateau or starting to drop. They will likely have enough momentum to hold on to the top spot next week, but then the battle between Ghost and Papa Roach is likely to begin for the next to reach the top.
Slash (f. Myles Kennedy), Bring Me The Horizon (f. Dani Filth), and Altitudes & Attitude all earn debuts in the Top 50.
With a decline in spins this week, it appears that the Slipknot single “All Out Life” may have peaked. If so, it will continue their relative declining fortunes with radio despite a fast start. The song debuted exceptionally well at #31, but gained little momentum after that, having now spent ten weeks stuck between #16 and #19. If that does prove to be the high water mark for the song then it will be the third of their last four singles to fail to reach the Top 10.