Review: Sons Of The Addicted - Fractal World

Sons Of The Addicted - Fractal World
2008, Phantasma Music

Ridgway, Colorado (pop. 750) is home to Sons Of The Addicted, a ready-for-primetime Modern Rock Act with a distinctive sound and a drive to succeed. Their debut album, Fractal World was released in 2008 and hits all of the right notes for Modern Rock radio. Led by writer/singer/lead guitarist Stosch Dembitsky, Sons Of The Addicted are carving out their own piece of the angst-driven hard rock pie.

Influences of or similarities to bands such as Incubus, Primus, Tool, Joe Satriani, Queensryche and Stone Temple Pilots are apparent through Fractal World, but Dembitsky's creative guitar styling and distinctive voice keep Sons Of The Addicted from falling into a sonic rut. The disc opens with guitar rocker Hold Onto Me, featuring Dembitsky's frantic guitar and vocal style. Lyrically dense, the song is almost a melodic rap tune. State Of The Union sounds like a laid back Queensryche tune, with Dembitsky even getting the same vocal intonation as Geoff Tate. Heroes Of Time hits on an Living Color style guitar riff and builds into an epic story song with its roots in Progressive Rock.

Your New Deal shows off the compositional and guitar-style choices that are somewhat unique to Dembitsky and Sons Of The Addicted. There's almost always something interesting going on in the guitar lines of each song on Fractal World. On this tune in particular Sons Of The Addicted remind me somewhat of the ill-fated collaboration of Les Claypool and Alex Liefson, Victor. Other highlights include Cheaters, Never Again, Grey Matter and Fractal World.

Sons Of The Addicted has a sound that is highly commercial yet musically challenging and unusual. Fractal World is a good start, although perhaps a bit uneven at times. Stosch Dembitsky is an unusual talent who is likely to be a fixture on the Indie music scene for years to come. Fractal World is a strong intro to Sons Of The Addicted.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Sons Of The Addicted at http://www.sonsoftheaddicted.com/. You can purchase a copy of Fractal World through Amazon.com.

Review: Sugar Red Drive - Sugar Red Drive

Sugar Red Drive - Sugar Red Drive
2009, Big Machine Media

Poughkeepsie, New York’s Sugar Red Drive are a neo classic rock band by, of and for musicians. Their latest project, Sugar Red Drive, will be released on CD in early 2009. Combining the melodic and progressive phrasing of the 1970’s with the Modern Rock edge guitar sound that lights up the phone banks at local radio, Sugar Red Drive has hit on a unique mix of classic rock and pop that takes an audience by surprise. You’d better put on your seat belts.

Sugar Red Drive opens with Wicked Sister, a rock anthem buoyed by big hits and even bigger guitar in the vein of Collective Soul's heavier material. Velvet Leash barges in on the opener with as much attitude as the opener. Sugar Red Drive keeps up the intensity on One More Time, sounding like a cross between Soundgarden and Collective Soul. Grace is a decidedly more pop-oriented rocker that has "single" written all over it. This is one of those songs that stick in your head in spite of not being particularly catchy. The chorus is melodic rock candy though, and you won't be able to stop it from playing in your mind.

Millers Child finds Sugar Red Drive stripping things all the way down to the acoustic core, building slowly throughout the song into an acoustic/electric mix that stands in stark contrast to the first few songs on the album. Have no fear; Sugar Red Drive doesn't go mellow-rock after a few rambunctious tunes. The next track, Liar, opens on a guitar progression reminiscent Living Color. Overdrive lives up to its name, exploding out of guitar riff that's as dangerous as it is entertaining. Comin' Down is by far the heaviest action on the album; prepare to be pounded by the wall of guitar and bass ridden by vocalist Archit Tripathi. Comin' Down is probably the best pure rock tune on the album, and is likely to garner some attention from the Modern Rock set. The album closes out with Somebody Else, the big guitar rock epilogue you knew had to be coming.

Sugar Red Drive is an exciting Modern Rock act with sufficient attitude to satisfy their target demographic and enough musical talent to rise above it. Big guitar rock bands are a dime a dozen in the current environment, but every so often one comes along with a little something extra that might make it worthwhile for them to stick around. Sugar Red Drive has that extra sense of charisma bleeding out of their music that makes you want to hear what's next. It's also easy to see how that charisma would translate to a live show, where'd I'd guess Sugar Red Drive is at their best. Sugar Red Drive is a keeper.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Sugar Red Drive at www.myspace.com/sugarreddrive or http://www.sugarreddrive.com/. Formal release information has yet to be released, so keep checking back at Sugar Red Drive’s website for more information!