THE SOUND OF ORIGIN ~ MAN IN THE ARENA .... review

 A lot has changed in The Sound Of Origin universe since the release of their 2020 release "The All Seeing Eye", firstly only vocalist Joel Bulsara, guitarist Joe 'Zeph' Wilczynski and bassist Azriel Nyx remain from the line up that made that album and secondly the band have added the word "the" in front of their band name to mark the fact that their new line up, now including  Jack Walker on drums, is somewhat of a new beginning. It is this line up that are behind the bands new album "Man in the Arena" (APF Records), an album that continues the journey started on "The All Seeing Eye" but also sees the band travelling down musical avenues previously left unexplored. 

Things kick off with "This Ain't Free" a song that blends Alice In Chains like slurred riffage and melodies with touches of NOLA-like hardcore sludginess, Bulsara's vocals sliding between a clean grungy croon and larynx ripping roar while the rest of the band lay down a chugging darkened alt-metal groove briefly interrupted by a deep dive into dynamics of a more extreme nature. "Birthright" begins with Wilczynski cranking out an earworm of a riff similar in flavour to the one Arch Enemy's Michael Amott employed on the song "Angel of Betrayal" (with his side project band Spiritual Beggars), that riff plus Nyx's deft booming bass lines, Walker's solid tight drumming and Bulsara's relatively clean and powerful vocal, going a long way in explaining why the band chose this song as the first single to promote the album. "Crown of the Cynic" is a grunge doom hard rock mishmash packed to the rafters with clever hooks and catches that sees Bulsara channelling both Layne Staley and Chris Cornell in his vocal outpourings, the song also throws a spotlight on the almost telepathic rhythmic understanding between Nyx and Walker, these two literally ooze groove. Next track "Frail Old Bones" features a guest appearance from Kyle Thomas of Exhorder/Trouble fame and twins elements of hard rock and up tempo heavy blues with aspect of swampy groove metal. Up next is "Thousand Year Curse" a song that finds Bulsara switching his vocals up and down between raw ferality and grungy clean melody beneath which Wilczynski, Nyx and Walker lay down a supporting barrage of Sabbathian tinted proto-doomic mayhem off-set with occasional post-metal texturing. Kyle Thomas returns to give Bulsara support on title track "Man in the Arena", the two vocalists trading off and harmonising on both the songs harsh and clean vocals over a musical backdrop that is constantly shifting and changing direction while "Gold Drenched In White" sees The Sound of Origin again blending Alice In Chains alt-metal dynamics with NOLA flavoured groove and nailing both disciplines. Finally we arrive at "Lightbringer" a joyous up tempo romp that could easily have challenged "Birthright" for that promotional single spot, a fist pumping crowd pleaser sure to become a live favourite at future shows.

Even before "the" was added to their name there were always elements of hard rock and alt-metal/grunge to be found in The Sound of Origin's music, even going as far back as the pre Bulsara era, but those elements are a lot more prominent on "Man in the Arena". Whether this is an intentional move or a natural progression is something you will have to ask the band but it is there and has given the bands sound a much more rounded and accessible dynamic. 

Check it out ...   

 

© 2023 Frazer Jones