Monday, July 18, 2011

Berlin/Junk Room (Singles) - Dead Sons


Rating 8/10

For the past few months I have been following a very promising new band out of Sheffield which features former Milburn guitarist, Tom Rowley, on guitar and lead vocals. Dead Sons, as the name suggests, are dark in nature, combing elements of psychedelic rock with heavy riffs and driving rhythms. Their newest release is a double A side digital single which can be downloaded for free on their website http://www.deadsons.tv/ .

            “Berlin” reveals Dead Sons’ softer side while still maintaining a spooky kind of aura. Acoustic guitars and a chorus that features a violin, a tambourine, and a particular kind of vocal delivery that seems to suggest a reach for an old English folk kind of sound. There are several times in this song where Rowley seems to be pushing his vocal abilities to the limit, with risk of shattering on words like “calling” and “morning”, but the vocals do not break, and instead provide an aesthetic appeal to the chorus. While “Berlin” is mostly quiet and subdued, it seems as though the band could not sit still for long and so, when they are all done being soft and delicate, they burst into a instrumental disarray that last nearly a third of the overall song length.

“Junk Room” starts with organ inflected carny music which gives quite an eerie impression, until it explodes into a relentless sound that carries the rest of the song. Chugging bass, shrilling organs, and forceful spoken word shape the verses, which ease into a more calmed chorus that builds and builds until forcing you back into the chaos once again. With “Junk Room” Dead Sons are showcasing the opposite side of “Berlin” and proving that heavy music doesn’t have to be about guttural screams or how fast you can play in drop C.

            While this release only features two tracks, it is a clear indication that Dead Sons have a clear idea of what they wish to sound like, and have a knack for producing that sound with great success. Hopefully a full length release is not too far away.

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