On tap we have a local treat, the band Sons of Nothing, which is the
all-original alter ego to their Pink Floyd Tribute project. The band has been
in the local circuit for some time, and many of the band members have paid
their dues in some of the early local rock/metal acts of years past. Sons of
Nothing probably don’t qualify much for metal at all, but they do deliver a
fairly tasty morsel of original rock on their sophomore outing.
The production is a bit thin, but is otherwise pretty solid and clean;
allowing the listener to hear all that is going on in the music. The tones Tim
Hollinger delivers are classic rock oriented, with a slight Gilmore/Lifeson
feel to his playing. Thom Bowers heads up the backbone on bass, keeping things
tight and in check, with Matt Meldrum supporting on keyboards and Guitar as
well, overlaying the keyboards in a very retro 70’s fashion. Also appearing on
the recording are Daryn Campbell on Drums, who’s timing and articulation is
brilliant, and some female backing vocals performed by Juli Mueller, which adds
a slight 'soul singer' sound to some of the tracks. The variations in the songs
are quite interesting, as the band bounces around quite a bit, giving each song
an identity of their own.
The songwriting here definitely raises the bar for local rock, but it’s
funny what influences pop-out on each track, some I’m sure that the band
probably hasn’t heard of., or maybe they have. The opening track Do Me has a
strong Steve Hogarth-era Marillion sound to it, and is a great up-beat tune,
with some rather strange lyrics. Better Than Life is one of the real stand out
tracks for me, showcasing that infamous Neo-progressive rock sound that many
Utah bands tend to gravitate to, without consciously knowing it. In fact, to
really make things interesting, Thom’s vocals almost sound uncanny to Snake on
Voivod’s underrated Angle Rat album - very interesting combination there. It
has a great vibe, and blends a good 80’s-era Rush style and a little bit of
Enchant as well. Esperanto is a funny, and up beat song that has that Spin
Doctors feel to it, and is probably a smash hit in the clubs - but this one is
a bit outside of my personal taste, and seems a bit campy. But, it is still a
solid tune. Then there is the absolute best songs ever from any local band I
have ever heard, the song Stolen - damn, I wish they had more songs like this,
the emotion, feel and energy here is absolutely perfect. I love the drums, the
vocals - everything! It’s like Voivod and Dead Soul Tribe’s tour busses crashed
together and they formed a band with the remaining members. I think more songs
with this vibe would be their forte’ in the future.
Wrapping this up is Misery, another blues-oriented track with soul vocals
with that Spin Doctors/Black Crows feel - again, out of my taste range, so when
I get to this track, I end up skipping back to Stolen and cranking it up.
To sum this one up, it’s a short and sweet rock album that delivers a good
variety of songs and sounds. I would personally like to hear these guys move
more in the direction of the Neo-prog style that they’re already dabbling in,
and incorporate more of the darker vibe as well. It might not go over well in
the clubs with the local rock fans, but it would definitely garner a lot of
attention from a few minor labels that cater to the neo-progressive rock genre
and generate a larger audience outside of Utah and the U.S. for them in the
long run concerning their original material.
