Dead Sons are a kinky little fivesome from Sheffield who have surprised me on more than one occasion since I received their debut album 'The Hollers & The Hymns'. There's that whole "never judge a book by its cover" thing and that definitely applies to reading band names and PR releaseS too. My initial thought from reading the name in my email subject was that I needed to prepare myself to be a bit scared by a metal/metalcore band who I’d have to listen to through headphones so people didn't assume we were under attack by some sort of demon. Then, I went in a whole different direction when opening the email and sighed when I saw that these guys are from Sheffield and another debuting band who are described as similar to Arctic Monkeys. Was I about to listen to a bunch of cardboard cut-out Indie blokes? The answer in short, is no.
Getting round to playing the 14-track album, I sighed in a whole different way (a slightly sexual way perhaps, but please don’t tell my Mum). Basically, if we were in a parallel universe where anything is possible, Dead Sons might well be the love children of Alex Turner and Queens Of The Stone Age. Tracks in particular that pack a punch: 'Ghost Train' is a chaotically strong opener that has the potential to blow your nipples off. Beginning with a really retro/psychedelic distorted guitar and keyboard that is reminiscent of playing a pinball machine, heavy, heart-stopping drums then kick in then there's a naughty guitar solo; you realise instantly these guys are no indie Sindy dolls, but animals behind their instruments!
'Hangman' will make you want to scream "yeah yeah yeah”, maybe even get naked. It's positively cymbal-rific. The title-track holds several changes in tempo and style and begins so unexpectedly, that I thought I’d accidentally put shuffle on and was listening to an entirely different band until those unwavering, un-shouty and beautifully distinctive vocals of the lead singer kick in. There’s something melancholy and surprisingly, oriental about the intro here. These guys whack out the xylophone (which, might I add, you don’t get enough of these days), and immerse you with the beauty of a piano melody. The song ups tempo and brings the noise with the standard guitar riffs, drum bangs and cymbal clashes in a pretty amazing instrumental in the style that we have grown so very fond of and that is constant throughout the album.
Combining psychedelia, indie, rock and some heavy metal, we are looking at a band that are practicing a pretty low-key genre called “UK desert-rock”. Catchy songs, lyrics that aren't obsessed with love, loss and heartache, and classic indie-esque vocals that are very popular, Dead Sons may kill two birds with one stone; firstly, gaining fans from a more mainstream audience in the near future, and secondly; they have hair that is very 'Loreal'. Let me tell you, these guys are definitely worth it, and I may have fallen in love a little bit. A completely chaotic, reverby and distorted type of love, but I know it's real.
Dead Sons' website
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