You may not know of SOS, but they are a band that should seem rather familiar to you. SOS formed in New York City in 1995, when grunge was still quite big, and was clearly heavily influenced by the genre. Five albums and over a decade later, SOS’s latest release, Adult Situations, shows that this style is one that they are very comfortable with.
The quartet, led by Mike SOS (guitar/vocals), rarely slow things down, nor do they get softer. Adult Situations is a loud and heavy album and definitely requires the volume turned way up. The tracks vary somewhat in the sense that many of them remind you of different artists, but not much of it sounds all that original. More often than not I think of Core-era Stone Temple Pilots songs (try “Frames” in this regard) in their darker, heavier, sounds with deeper vocals. Some of the more punk tracks also remind me a bit of the Misfits or Danzig (check out “Fear & Ferocity”), and again the vocal style helps in these comparisons. Still if you look at the bands MySpace page, or just sample some of the tracks, I am sure you will be reminded of many bands in which you are very familiar.
SOS seems like a fun time for fans looking to reminisce over their favorite 90’s rock bands. The songs on Adult Situations aren’t finding uncharted territory by any stretch, but at the same time, they do provide listeners with decent new songs in the likeness of several bands that are no longer releasing new material. So if you’re looking for a band that is blazing trails, SOS likely isn’t for you, but if you miss the hard, dirty rock of the early/mid 90’s, do check them out.
Kevin Kozel-MuzikReviews.com Staff
February 3, 2010
