EP Review: Saint Asonia - Introvert

Radio rock is a hard genre to really get into, because so many of the bands follow the exact same blueprint. They do it because that is what gets airplay, and I totally understand that, but it leads to an entire genre of music that sounds so similar it's sometimes impossible to distinguish one band from another. And now that there are also offshooots to the successful bands drama necessitated that also sound the same, sometimes the only way to cut through it all is to have audible charisma the others don't. Saint Asonia did that on their first record. Adam Gontier's voice is just a bit better at selling the songs than many of the also-rans, which gives them a leg up.

They are following that well-received album with this EP, which is an interesting choice. It does seem to be the way a lot of bands are going these days, and if you're primarily aiming for radio play and streaming numbers, focusing on just 'the hits' makes sense. On the other hand, having fewer songs gives you less options to pull a rabbit out of the hat if the original picks don't climb the charts as expected.

The six original songs on this release continue the Saint Asonia formula. The guitars are there to give a comfortable rock feeling, even if they are just playing the usual types of rhythms. The vocals are top notch, as Adam is one of the best at doing this style. The melodies are where radio rock can feel stale, and it's where Saint Asonia is able to use their veteran presence to their advantage.

Whether it's the towering hook of "Above It All", or the slower grind of "Chew Me Up", there's enough movement to the melodies where they become memorable in a way a lot of the flatter crooning you can hear from the style isn't capable of. The band proves that point themselves, with the latter of those songs having a bit after the first chorus where the vocals turn into an almost rap cadence. It not only sounds a bit out of place, but the way any melody gets sapped out only to be rebuilt later on, is proof maintaining that edge is hard even for people who know what they're doing.

But I think the best comparison I can make is this; during parts of "So What" in particular, Saint Asonia sounds like the band Fozzy wishes they could be. There's a similar tonality to the music and vocals, but one band is able to use that to write powerful sounding songs, while the other sounds like they are wearing a costume of a better band. Adam's voice strains as he sings lyrics questioning himself, while Chris Jericho's voice isn't strong enough to carry his bragging words. That's the difference, and it is audible in every second of the music.

We also get a cover of The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights", which fits into a trend I used to love; the 'rocked up' pop song. For as much as rock fans don't want to hear it, great pop songs and great rock songs aren't that different at the core of how they are written, and embracing that doesn't make you lesser in any way. We do want people to like our music, after all, don't we?

Saint Asonia are good at this. They should be, with as much experience as they have. The only problem with this release is that it's only an EP with six new songs. I might want a bit more than that when I sit down to listen, but exiting on a high note is not such a bad thing. It sort of worked for George Costanza.