Sights & Sounds—Monolith (2009)

Details

Produced, engineered, and mixed by Devin Townsend at the Devestate. Assisted by Mike St-Jean. Drums recorded at the Wharehouse, engineered by Dean Maher. Manufacturered and marketed by Distort Inc./United by Fate Records. Released in 2009.

Band

Andrew Neufeld—Vocals, guitars, keys
Adrian Mottram—Guitar, pads, vocals
Matthew Howes—Bass, vocals
Joel Neufeld—Drums, percussion

Tracks

Sorrows
Shudder, St Kilda
Storm & the sun
The clutter
Neighbours
The furthest truth
Pedal against the wind
Night train
Reconcile
Borderlines
Subtle, severe
Sorrows II
Pillars

Review

Canadian rock band Sights & Sounds is made up of members of four other Canadian bands: Comeback Kid, Figure Four, Sick City and The Getaway, and I just can’t get enough of this album. I’ve been playing it on loop all week: on my PC, at work, in the car, when taking a walk at lunchtime listening on my phone.

Strictly speaking Sights & Sounds aren’t metal — they’re about as metal as Def Leppard — but they are a part of this project so they’re staying in.

One review I read of them described them as “a blend of rock, punk and pop”, another described their songs as “a collection of intricate songs that straddles the line between sonically massive and a beautiful experiment in textured sounds.” [1] Guitarist Adrian Mottram in an interview in 2009 summed up their (then-current) influences as being as diverse as Dinosaur Jr, Greg Dulli, Miles Davis, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Mew [2]. Sounds good to me.

The album opens with a very simple chord progression played on piano, which reminded me very much of Anthrax’s “I’m Alive” from their latest album Worship Music as it builds until the rest of the band explode into the song. The rest of the album follows in a similar, thoughtful vein. There is a depth to the songs. They are allowed to breathe and move and develop quite naturally. One minute they sound fragile and delicate, the next powerful and anthemic.

Conclusion

There really isn’t a song amongst this collection that doesn’t speak to me on one level or another. Producer Devin Townsend has done a sterling job capturing something of the essence of this band. There is an energy and excitement about it. Brilliant. I can see this being a favourite album of mine for some time to come. Quite unexpected, but very much welcomed.

When is their next album coming out?

Review score: 95%