Only Sons are a five-piece band hailing from Poland with a love on 90’s alternative rock and metal. Still relatively new on the scene, they formed in 2017 and have one EP to their credit. “Lions And Unicorns” is their first long player and they promise a worship of the era. Let’s check out what they’ve got…

Crunchy riffs announce the title track with a mid-tempo, “Load” era Metallica styled groove. They manage a nice chug on the opening salvos but early in the piece there is a very generic feel to the band’s style. The drumming is quite busy and this at least gives the tracks some soul. They manage a bit more urgency on the free flowing
“Ever Westward” with its driving Foo Fighters influenced pace. Vocally these tracks could do with a bit of roughness to give them some edge. There’s no doubt they’re a tight unit but there just needs to be a bit more of their own DNA on offer to entice the listener.

The band move into more melodic, blues based territory on “Bonfire” where a little Audioslave mixed with Black Sabbath’s “Planet Caravan” comes into the picture right down to the vocal phrasing. Throughout they inject a chugginess into their songs which gives them some much needed kick. Grungier, early Silverchair tones appear in “Holding On” before the mandatory slow burner of “Cabin In The Woods” brings the album to a close.

This is an album that sounds like a band finding its feet and identity. There’s plenty of decent musicianship but there’s an uninspired feel overall that leaves it all a little bit forgettable. There’s something there but the aura is one of a sense of confinement. Perhaps if they lose the formula and go with the feel, those hidden talents will expose something with a bit more bite…the building blocks are there.

(5/10 Johnny Zed)

https://www.facebook.com/OnlySonsPoland

https://onlysonspoland.bandcamp.com/album/lions-and-unicorns