Hailing from Orange County, California, Staring Into Nothing are the next best flavor in progressive rock. Featuring Steve Rogers on keyboards and vocals, Savannah Rogers on vocals and guitars and Kurt Barabas on bass and guitar, this power trio bring forth the dark side of society with lyrical themes covering topics such as abuse of power, the horrors of war, and the struggle of relationships. The depressing yet melodic vocals accompanied by atmospheric guitars and keyboard playing help bring forth a haunting atmosphere that helps the listener embrace the dark lyrics the band bring forth, a formula that will remind you of the early albums of Pearl Jam. This couldn’t be shown more than on their new single and lyric video Alternative Nation is premiering “Puritans,” a rollercoaster ride of a track in a similar vain to “November Rain” by Guns N’ Roses.
“Puritans” starts seeming like a lovely piano ballad that sounds like inspirational 70’s rock, similar to Billy Joel or Elton John, but once the 30 second mark kicks in things take a dark turn. The ominous sounding piano and drums kick in with heavy guitar riffs and Steve’s vocals transitioning from inspirational to haunting. The lyrics then also take a darker turn. At the beginning of the track the lyrics are about crusaders of justice and good. Once the dark tone kicks in though, the lyrics are revealed to be about how today’s America is corrupt. At around 1:15 we hear Savannah’s beautiful vocals kick in to also sing about this dark topic. After a few seconds it goes back to Steve singing for another verse only to go back to Savannah. After this, it goes into an awesome bridge that ends the song. Here Steve sings fast, and is accompanied by awesome guitar solos and great funk bass. You can just feel the Yes influence bleed through this epic track’s conclusion.
The lyric video, while simple, helps get the point of the song across fairly well. The still images really complement the lyrics that appear on the screen, giving the viewer a clear and straight to the point view of what the song is all about.
All and all this track is destined to be a new favorite among those looking to satisfy their craving for quality prog. The nice blend of melody and atmosphere will please fans of prog classics like Rush and Yes, as well as modern titans like Steven Wilson and Opeth.
