When members of great bands decide to venture out of their unit to do other music projects it is usually met with high anticipation but also fans can become skeptical on whether they are going to have their expectations met and if it will be as great as the bands those musicians were previously with. Gone is Gone is a new supergroup comprising of Troy Sanders (vocalist/bassist of Mastodon) Troy Van Leeuwen (guitarist of Queens of the Stone Age) Tony Hajjar (Drummer of At the Drive In) and Mike Zarin (blockbuster film score composer). ‘Echolocation’ is the band’s debut album just 5 and a half months after releasing their self titled E.P.
At first listen, this is an incredibly rich listening experience because the music is quite left field for all these musicians. The opening song “Sentient” starts as an ambient piece and erupts into a heavy explosion of sound. Then the song “Gift” has a super catchy riff that Leeuwen had more than likely written for Queens of the Stone Age but is put to good use for Gone is Gone. The third track “Resurge” is a slow song with an infectious bass groove from Sanders and has a momentous build up from the rest of the band. “Dublin” is a melancholic ballad that shows the quality of songwriting the band can produce even with minimal drums and guitars as the song’s emphasis is more on sound effects created by Zarin. This is followed by“Ornament” another epic track that has a great bass line and is a stand out song on the album.
“Pawns” is pure dirty rock n’ roll as the song opens with scratchy guitar chords and bruising bass licks. In contrast “Colourfade” is a beautiful psychedelic rock jam and is one my favorite songs on the album. The 8th track“Roads” begins with soundscapes and then evolves into a cinematic piece of music that feels like the soundtrack to a movie. “Slow Awakening” speaks volumes to the creatively of Gone is Gone by skillfully fusing elements of Pink Floyd with industrial rock. “Fast Awakening”continues the same melody but speeds it up giving the song a punk edge.This is nicely offset by“Resolve” the only acoustic ballad on the album but complements the rest of the album quite nicely making this release dynamic and eclectic. The final song is “Echolocation” and as the title track sums up an outstanding debut album that is filled with great heavy riffs and progressive melodies.
The influences on ‘Echolocation’ are quite varied raging from progrock to post punk, this band would have been a success in the 70’s or 80’s. Gone is Gone is like a more cutting-edge Mastodon without the metal distortion, it’s hypnotizing and it’s layered with density yet it has fragile moments as well. It’s impressive how all these great musicians have set their egos aside and come together to craft something quite special. With new music to come out next year from Mastodon and At the Drive In, Gone is Gone is a good omen for what to look out for in 2017.