Sonic Divide - 2020 - The Other Side

(52:06; Melodic Revolution Records)

Track list:
1. Vicinity 3:58
2. Hero 3:29
3. Come Back Again 4:20
4. When It Bleeds 4:55
5. Roll the Dice 5:46
6. Alive 3:11
7. Final Stage 4:50
8. Shot in the Dark 4:02
9. I'll Run 4:19
10. When No One's Watching 3:54
11. I Still Believe 4:32
12. Stay 4:50

Line-up:
Wayne Holden - vocals
Glenn Johnson - guitars, vocals
Andy Young - keyboards, vocals
Ian Slade - bass, vocals
Evan Johnson - drums, vocals
Steve Pirie - guitars, vocals


Australian band Sonic Divide was formed sometime around 2009 from what I can gather, consisting of members with ample amounts of experience from other creative ventures prior to forming this band. They self-released their debut album back in 2013, but following the sometimes intricate patterns in the lives of creative artists it took the band a few years to return to the recording studio. When they did so it was after signing up with US label Melodic Revolution Records, who released their second and so far most recent album "The Other Side" in the spring of 2020.

While I see this band marketed as and described as melodic hard rock, and sometimes AOR too, I'll take the liberty to disagree ever so slightly with that description. Not with the melodic aspect of it all, as that one is very much in place, but from my perspective this is a band that exist somewhere on the border between an 80s inspired variety of hard rock and heavy metal, with occasional AOR inspired inclusions.

We do get songs that will be more defined by either metal or hard rock types of guitar riff and rhythm traditions, at least as I experience the relative difference between these two forms of rock music, but most of all I'd describe this as a band that mix and blend elements from both of these traditions in the greater majority of the compositions here. But with the powerful vocals arguably having a bit more of a hard rock passion than it has a powerful metal style of melodic delivery. A case could probably be argued for both though, depending on point of view, age and personal taste and experience.

Due to this we get songs that ebb and flow in minor as well as major manners and mannerisms, with elegant flowing sections and edgier and grittier displays. Gritty and dirty guitar riffs and powerful and majestic guitar and keyboard combinations coexist nicely with gentler and more delicate passages, bluesier excursions and uplifting and elegant movements and details. Compelling verse and chorus sections are delivered with an enthralling ease, catchy hooks and alluring arrangements likewise. Striking movements with likeable groove movements are very much present too. With a singer that knows when to tone it down, when to apply power and when a more refined passion is called for. With strong and well developed material throughout, and an excellent mix and production. An argument may actually be made for the opening cut 'Vicinity' to be a little bit of a flirt with the progressive metal tradition too, and a slight few tendencies towards the progressive rock legacy does appear in a couple of other songs to boot. Without this being a defining aspect of the landscapes explored, but perhaps an indication about this realm of music also being inside of the interest sphere of some of the members of Sonic Divide.

This is the kind of album that would have been a scorching hit back in the latter half of the 1980s I gather. We get the token ballads and power ballads, some nice and gritty rockers, many songs with a more striking melodic edge and a few that shift over to landscapes a bit more sophisticated in nature to boot. Music that should appeal across a wide potential audience, explored and executed in an impeccable manner, and with well developed songs to boot. An album that is easy to recommend to those with a general interest in bands that exist on the border between melodic hard rock and melodic (traditional) heavy metal.

Olav M. Björnsen, October 2024

Links:
https://sonicdivide.net/
https://mrrmusic.com/