Veteran rockers keep it fresh

OLD is gold.

This adage holds true for the music industry, where veteran acts are rightly revered and, more importantly, given due respect.

How else does one explain UK doom metal's wrinkled legends Black Sabbath topping the Billboard charts or Seattle's grunge stalwarts, Alice In Chains, snagging top spot on the iTunes Rock Album with their respective new releases?

The loyalty of rock fans cannot be underestimated.

It is worth mentioning that both bands are on a triumphant march back to their former glory; Alice In Chains' The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here comes after a four-year hiatus, while Black Sabbath's 13 marks the original line-up's reunion after an acrimonious 35-year break.

When old bands make new music that sounds right at home next to their (much) younger contemporaries, it's even more of a pleasant surprise.

Arizona alt-rockers Jimmy Eat World's latest studio effort, Damage, is chockful of upbeat, solid pop punk tunes a la current pop punk bands, such as The Story So Far and All Time Low.

But frontman Jim Adkins and gang, often dubbed pioneers of the emo movement, are no fresh-faced newbies.

Already into their second decade in the business, these guys have long shown their knack for penning timeless material.

PREVIOUS HITS

Their arsenal of previous hits, including Sweetness, The Middle and Bleed American, hardly sound a day older than the stuff of today's coolest bands, like Fall Out Boy and Paramore.

Then, there are New York rockers Goo Goo Dolls, best known for their late 90s chart-topping numbers Iris (otherwise known as the theme song from the tearjerker movie City of Angels), Slide and Here Is Gone.

The trio, inducted in May into Hollywood's Guitar Center RockWalk, bring generous doses of youthful zest and pumped-up energy to Magnetic, their recently-released 10th album.

Lead single Rebel Beat is especially infectious and exuberant, coming across as a summery concoction that will appeal to anyone fond of pop hipsters Fun and rock chick Avril Lavigne. Frontman Johnny Rzeznik, 47, with his perennially crystal clear voice, sounds more like an enthusiastic teenager than a wizened, seen-it-all musician who has been on the road for almost 30 years.

You've just got to give it to these veteran bands that continue to keep things fresh and exciting. In the process, I'm sure they'll win for themselves hordes of new, wide-eyed teen fans.