Review by Paul Monkhouse
Stone Sour guitarist Josh Rand is a busy man, never content to rest on his laurels while new music pours out of him.
With the mothership put on hiatus, Rand has grabbed he opportunity to write and record this new venture, teaming up with Paralandra singer / guitarist Casandra Carson and the results are, it must be said, stellar.
Going into the studio to put down the five tracks that comprise the release, the polymathic Iowan performed all the instrumentation as Carson brings her own impressive chops to the mix, the two birthing a modern hard rock record that hits all its marks.
The propulsive ‘Ignite’ opens the show, filling the space with gloriously heavy guitars, pneumatic rhythms and vocals that float and then tear into your flesh.
Big, tough and brawling, it marks the emergence of the combo as one to be reckoned with, the mix of the feral and melodic a heady cocktail. Taking a darker tone, ‘Purgatory’ starts with military drumming and then morphs into another snarling beast that somehow manages to throw in a vaguely exotic, Middle Eastern vibe under everything.
Hard as nails, ‘The Nothingness’ again bridges that gap between the furious and irresistibly accessible, rocking as hard as it soars, Rand’s guitars and double bass drum patterns frantic whilst Carson sounds at times like Lzzy Hale in her power and attack.
The duo aren’t afraid to stretch themselves and break the mould either as the gloriously upbeat ‘Worthwhile’ proves. Lighter and even more melodic than what has come before, the track is a piano and keys led slice of feelgood Summer sunshine that exudes class and sky-scraping emotions, revealing the breadth of what The L.I.F.E Project are capable of.
Closing with the hard and heavy sledgehammer riffing of ‘A World On Fire’, the E.P. heralds what could be the start of a very fruitful and vital working relationship, bringing two unique talents together in one great whole. Intelligent, compelling and as classy as it is brutal, this is one release that has to be heard.
The L.I.F.E. Project EP is out now here: http://thelifeproject.lnk.to/thelifep…
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