In a world where it has become commonplace to hear an 808 beat on most tracks, it comes as a breath of fresh air to listen to an album inspired by the sentimental golden age of Rock ’n’ Roll. When it comes to alt-rock music artist Paul Maged’s newest LP, Culture War, that is entirely the case as it is a deep dive into the era of music that harkens back to the glory days of the genre. It is an album that delves into some critical issues, while simultaneously challenging the status quo via a handful of the song’s lyrical content.
Culture War starts very rampageously with the title track and uses it to great effect. Resulting is an album saturated with full-bursting energy that is very much needed and sets the tone for the rest of the album. The listener is teleported to a time that harkens the nostalgia of glory days of old. Maged channels his influences rather cleverly with evident homages to bands like Dio and Van Halen, even with some vocal sound being reminiscent of Ronnie James Dio. In an era where this music is not commonplace, it is refreshing to hear its return with a modern edge. That is not to say that the album is not diverse.
Stream ‘Culture War’ On Spotify
The 10-track album operates under a neatly defined dynamic range. Whilst kicking off with the blast in “Culture War,” as the record progresses Maged decelerates the pace a bit with “Simplicity,” post the glorious start. By reveling in the details of eloquently transitioning from one tempo to another, Maged displays his overall understanding of the genre and his talents as a dynamic songwriter.
Indeed, Culture War is an homage to a classic era of rock, one that over the years is particularly missed by an overlooked segment of society. Maged’s ability to revive the genre with an ambitious passion is the derivative of an artist who doesn’t mind wrecking musical havoc to rumble the soul.
That soul, intertwined with the hefty influences of punk rock, pop and classic rock (reminiscent of Pearl Jam, Rush and Greenday) makes the project compelling to the listening ear. What results is his own unique version of protest art — something that has been a part of American culture sing the 1960s. Further analysis reveals the mastery of the sonically fine-tuning of the project, which inches toward nearly overshadowing the impact of the personal lyrics, but that’s how far it goes.
Out of necessity, Maged performed all the instruments and produced the album himself as a way to continue the heartbeat of his music career amid a ravaging pandemic. Maged, himself, has called this project his “most personal collection of music, both politically and emotionally.”
Listen To Paul Maged On SoundCloud
Hailing from the Boston and Framingham areas in Massachusetts, he has been writing music since the tender age of 10. In 2017, he completed his first full-length album. Since that fateful year, Maged has garnered substantial success. One of his songs, “Fight To The Death,” became part of the soundtrack of a UFC promotional video. With his latest project Culture War, Maged upkeeps the tradition of having a meaningful voice during challenging times.
“Nobody writes protest songs anymore,” Maged said. “Major artists used to write protest songs. Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Bob Dylan. You just don’t see that anymore because all popular artists today are so neatly packaged to appeal to the masses and no one wants to ruffle any feathers. I may not be a big artist but I have to speak my truth and I know I’m not alone in how I feel.”
